Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-31
Tho Rulcs of the House.

The DISPATCH came out more than
two years ago in favor Of the adoption
by the House OF Representatives OF such
rules as would enable the Democratic
majority in that body to control the
course of legislation. 1t seemed to us
unwise and impolitic for the Democrats
to allow the Republicans when these
had majority Of the House to carry out
their party schemes, and when they
themselves had majority OF the House
TO decline to avail themselves OF all the
power TO which that majority gave them
a title. Gar REED ruled the last Re-
publican House of Representatives with
rod Of iron, and laughed to scorn the
utmost efforts of the Democrats to break
the bonds with which the Repub-
leans and the Republican Speaker
had bound them. His leadership
in tho present House is just as alb
solute and unques:ioned. so far as the
Republican members are concerned, as
it Was in the lastsCongress in which his
party had a majority; hut, fortunately
for the country and the cause of good
government, his power must needs ex-
laust itself upon his own party friends,
the Democrats having very large ma
ioritv in the House of Representatives.
fig Republican serfs may worship him,
lut the people of the United States will
lave no such idol.
Speaker CRISP called attention on Tues
day to the fact that under the rules re-
ported to the present House of Represen-
tatives by the Committee on Rules the
Democratic majority would have the
right to control the course Of legislation,
because the House itself would have
adopted such a rule, whereas IN the 5lst
Congress Speaker REED had exercised
unlimited control over the proceedings
of the House without ever having been
authorized by the House itself to claim
any such power or right. Hence his
title of " Gear REED.
In House of Representatives con-
sisting of 356 members there must be
some sort OF cloturo or closure rules
rules under the operation of which de-
bate can at some time or other be cut
oil. Republican government is based
upon the theory or assumption that the
majority is always capable enough and
intelligent enough, and reasonable
enough 10 know how to carry on the
government There is no one class in
a genuine republic which can claim the
right to rule the country against the ex-
pressed wishes of a majority of the
voters. These wishes are expressed at
the ballot-box, and having been ex-
pressed there, must be respected by the
law-making power. Either this is the
true theory Of government IN a re-
public. or else our fathers did not know
wherein free government consisted. But
the fathers of the republic did know
what republic WAS, and they
established one. They fully re-
cognized the right Of the majority
to legislate. This right is restricted in
some measure by restraints imposed in
the Federal Constitution, and these re-
straints are supplemented by the rules
Of the House OF Representatives itself.
Here Speaker CRIsP's line of distinction
is drawn between the arbitrary, unau-
thorized, and tyrannical conduct OF
Speaker REED in substituting his own
will for House rule. and the conduct of
the Democrats in the present House Of
Representatives in fixing upon a code OF
rules that bind the Speaker as well as
the other members OF the House.
Mr.. GLADSTONE found it necessary to
adopt rules for the closing Of debate in
the British House of Commons. The
I nitcd States House Of Representatives
could not ask higher authority. Let US
have rules which will leave the power to
legislate in the hands of those to whom
the people themselves entrusted it by
their votes. Let the ballot-box rule.