Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-09-01
A RECORD OF FAILURE.
Ex-Speaker Reeds Review OF
the Last Congress.
ITS RECKLESS EXTRAVAGANZA


900 in Fifteen Minutes-New Rules yer
sus Reed-s-A scathing Arraignmens.
Copyright. lsas, by the New York Press. Pub
lshed by permission.l
The barbarian army of Xerxes has re-
crossed the Hellespont with bedraggled
legions, much beaten and discounted.
Everything it has tried to do has beer
failure, and its every action has been in
effect disapproval Of all that the
Democracy professed in the last con.
gress and in the last campaign.
1t has not only grievously sinned, but
has sinned against light, and its history
is history of confessions and failures,
of admissions and retreats. That such
should be its history is not in the least
unnatural, The present must always
join onto the past, and men are so
made up that they often sacrifice good
and useful opportunity in the present, in
order not to confess to bad course Of
action in the past.
When the Democracy met together
seven months ago it was evident to
them all that there must be some change
of their old rules if they meant even to
seem to do business. But during the
last session they had said so much, had
burdened the air with so many outcries,
that they could not frankly and man
fully adopt that system of rules which
had had the sanction of the severest
trial that ever system was subjected
to, trial in which all partisan opposi-
ton had been paralyzed, and the bust
ness of the country had gone on undis-
mayed by clamor and undisturbed By
noise. The Democracy felt that they
must somewhere have for themselves
the power they had so loudly flouted
when used by others. Nevertheless
they also felt that for very shame's sake
they must so conceal it that the world
would not find it out But the attempt
at concealment was in vain EVERYBODY
now knows that the very power they so
bitterly complained of when exercised
by the speaker impartially on all bills,
they arranged to have exercised on
special occasions by the committee on
rules, which is itself the mere creature
of the speaker, and they soon found that
before the committee ON rules could ex-
ercise this power the speaker himself
must as ''tyranically." as did his prede-
cessor, override the decisions of Demo-
cratic speaker, which up to that date
had been untouched.
The speaker of the last house endured
the waste for a fortnight of two precious
hours every day rather than override a
decision of Speaker Carlisle that the
journal must first be read before any
other business. That ruling seemed SO |
in good sense as TO be I'M
assailable. The speaker Of the present
house. however, before even a filibuster
had begun, oyerruled Mr.. Carlisle and |
gave the proceedings OF the committee |
on rules precedence over everything but |
the chaplain. When one thinks of the |
hubbub and noise, the wrath and tur- |
moil, the loud voiced patriotism which |
greeted similar action Of the committee
on rules, though made decorously and |
in order, one hardly knows which t.
admire most, the sudden somersault
Of the Democracy or their notion that
they have concealed it.
The Republicans were consistent
and offered to the Democ-
racy in majority the same control which
they themselves had exercised. They
lid more than that-they offered the
control which every majority
ought to have, together with the right
30 a 4Fonsroll.- a,,,,,,el tl,, ,4+,,,, 49,. -. j
action of members. OF course such
power would have meant responsibility
equally large and equally comprehen.
i've. The offer was refused, though
rules were adopted which sanctioned
actions on the part of the committee on
rules which were the subjects of daily
and regular denunciation when Repub-
leans were charged with the conduct
If public business.
When the rules were adopted the new
were told by us what the re-
suits would be, and large minority,
perhaps even majority, of Democrats
nave since and often expressed sorrow
md regret that they had not had at the
the sense and knowledge
which they have now acquired. Instead
If giving freedom of debate only free
lom of opposition has been given.
Instead of the orderly discussion of
great questions the time of the house
ias been wasted on roll calls and trivial
lebate, and all the measures of real i'm
have passed under suspension
# the rules by sheer force of numbers.
As specimen of how these rules have
,perated in the way of increased DELHI
,ration and care let me give you few
examples. Remember that this has
been the long session of Democratic
congress, led by the very men who were
10 clamorous only two years ago for
freedom of debate. Remember also
hat there was no systematic day by day
waste of time by the opposition; no per
1etual hand to hand fight actuated by
PARTISAN feeling and spurred ON by indi-
Tidual anger. The minority behaved
With gentleness and modesty, partly
! 4 I