The Oskaloosa herald., 1892-08-11
TOM REED EXPLAINS

WASHINGTON Aug. Especial: "The
situation during the past two weeks is
not generally understood through the
country" said ex-Speaker Tom Reed
this morning. "The Democratic party
under the courageous and economical
leadership of Mr.. Holman" he con-
tinued, has been engaged in legislative
revolution. The senate passed bill,
with certain amendments; and then the
house, by good majority, decided to
concur in the senate amendments to
that bill; mean the Sundry civil bill.
Ordinarily, the bill should have gone
Immediately to the president for his ap-
prOval or disapprOval. But, for the
tirst time in the history of our nation
al legislature, MIR. Holman, Mr.. Bailey
and Mr.. Cummings, set ont to defeat
the will Of the majority after q bill had
passed both branches of congress, by
tilibustering. Now it is nothing new
to have filibustering in the house, be-
fore a bill has passed Under the anti
Quated rules OF the present house fill
clustering is invited. But no such
revolutionary tiltbustering was ever at
tempted before.
During the last congress" continued
Mr.. Reed, ,refiectively," ,"it was a common
thing for the Democrats to assail me,
insult me aud villify me; and the con-
slant basis of their complaints and
criticism was that my rulings were
revolutionary. was engaged in an
endeavor to compel majority rule.
That they regarded as revolution. l
was determined to follow the constitu-
tion in compelling present quorum,
instead Of the ahsurdity of voting
quorum. My efforts to do business
were characterized as revolutionary
The supreme court has since declared
that my work was not revolutionary,
but in accordance with the letter and
spirit of the constitution.
D"These people, however, have been
determined to subvert the rule Of the
majority. and to prevent bill from be-
coming law, after majority of both
houses of congress have acted upon it.
That is revolution, and no court would
gainsay the assertion. No man of COM
mon sense can look upon the Demo-
cratic revolt as other than a danger
Gus revolution. The majority should
rule. Under our form Of government,
the subversion of minority for major
ity rule is little if any short of treason.
The Democratic party started out of
the Union thirty-one years ago upon
the same theory. They were deter
mined, after the people had spoken and
elected Abraham Lincoln president OF
the United States, that they would not
submit to that verdict of the majority;
and that they would leave the Union
rather than allow a majority president
to execute the laws of the land, so far
as they were concerned. 1t took them
four years to change their minds, and
remain in the Union and under the
constitution. l have not for moment
thought that Mr.. Holman and Mr..
Cummings will defy the constitution,
in the present instance, for 80 long a
period of time. They will remain in
the Union. The Democratic party will
remain in the Union. AS usual, after
they have had sufficient time to grapple
the truth, they will come back under
the flag and acknowledge that they
have been wrong. The Democratic
party has been acknowledging the
error Of its ways, day after day, during
the past quarter of a century; yet it
continually goes off at tangent, when
ever opportunity affords, only to come
back wseping and owning its perverse-
ness. The goVernmenI. which is more
maternal than paternal, always vel.
comes the wayward one with kiss
and never spanks it and puts it to bed
as it ought to do. Kind words and
gentle treatment are thrown away on
some children"