New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-10
AMENDS no SPEAKER FEED.

Republicans will not be expected 10 look
without smile and. indeed, several different
kinds of Il smile, upon the nervous twtchlng
which has seized those Democratic statesmen
who feel themselves especially charged with
responsibility for the action OF Congress on the
silver repeater. This nervous tWitchlng takes
possession of these stat smcn whenever they
contemplate the subject of the Congressional
rules If there is any proposition - which. by
their own acts. they are all committed whether
they are Free Traders Free silver men. Mug
wrlmps, Jclicrsonian Democrats. JackSonlan
Democrats Old-Fashloncd Democrats or what
not. it is to the proposition that organized OBJ
struction on the part of the minority I" IN"
will of the majority is necessity to liberty
and fundamental principle of the Democratic
party. The blood of the martyrs has conNc-
Grated this doctrine.
II was avowcd deliberately. not ~ matter
of impulse. 1t was an unnecessary thing to
do. No party cyigcncy. >ancly considered.
compelled it. The Republican, of til" List
Congress sought, aS Republicans ever do and
rs Democrats don't. 10 carry ont tine pledges
they had made in their party platform. They
wanted to lcgislatc They had the majont!
the responsibility and the Obligation But
they had not taken the first step before the
entire Democratic minority arose. declaring
that it intended to prevent any and all Re
publcan legislation by obstructive manocuvrcN.
The hand of the Speaker Intcrpo>ed 10 th"au
this rash n-imcrlcan resolution. ana the
House. expressing his acts III rules. effectively
required that opposition 10 a pending measure
should cease when il had been fully and fairly
debated The minority was compelled 10 alb
stain from dilatory and obstructive motions.
and inasmuch as the highest expression OF each
members will was his vote, no power above
or behind that was allowed to any one 10y the
misuse of parliamentary devices. The result
was that the List Congress lcgSlatcd.
There is no doubt that Speaker Crisp. and
the Democrats Of the succeeding Congress
nightly desired T. continue these rules They
had every opportunity of doing 50. The Re
puhlicans were then in the minority. but they
asked for themselves only what thcs rs u ma
ioritv had been willing to conccdc Ia the Dem
ocrats. But the Speaker and his advisers
lacked the moral courage 10 make the con
fession that would have been required of them
if they had adopted the Reed rules They pre-
fcrrcd to lcgallzc obstruction. and aftcrwanl 10
put it down, when they could. by arbitrary
rulings from the Chair. But they are now ap-
preaching a task which is too much for a
speaker to undertake unaidcd. lie knows
this. and all Others Of his party interested in
the performance OF the tax know it too.
One by one they are appearing i'll interviews,
declaring that the Reed rules must be adopted.
They must choose between the humiliation of
confessing a fault or the humiliation of making
an utter failure Of legislation They would
better make the first confession. and make il
quickly and compctclN Republicans. rs We
said before, may smile Il little and call to mind
the wild scenes in the House four years ago
when its entire Democratic contingent were
packed in the aiScS and crowded around the
Speakers desk, shaking their fists i'll his face
and calling him tyrant and Il ear. Bui this
is small matter in comparison with the ne
cessity of passing the repeal bill.