Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-08-31
REED AND CRISP.
Animated Discussion in the House
over the Rules.
EX-SPEAKER TWITS THE SPEAKER.
Crisp quits the Chair and Explains the
Position OF Himself and Party
Reed Again Offers
Criticism.


committee on rules, reporting the rules
for the present house.
Mr.. Reed twitted the democrats upon
their partial approval of the rules of
the Fifty-frst congress, but in hui
morous vein contended they had not
gone far enough. lie then, in a more
serious manner, argued In favor of
the rights Of the majority, which
rights had been firmly maintained in the
Fifty-hrst congress. n ow the house
was in the habit of lodging measures
instead Of meeting them. He criticised
Che provision of the rules which, he
claimed, vested the committee of rules
with the authority which should be
vested with the speaker. Why not
adopt rules which would give to the
majority control and take away from
the filibusterer his chance to stop the
consideration of measure IL was
better TO have speaker exercise power
In the full light of public opinion than
to exercise IL in the committee room.
Then, for the first time this session,
the speaker took the floor, having
called Mr. Richardson, of Tennessee, TO
the chair, and replied to Mr. Reed He
said there were provisions on this side
which were taken substantially from
the rules Of the Fifty-hrst congress.
Neither he nor any member of the com
mittee on rules would refrain from re-
porting rules simply because they
were part of those of the Fifty
| first congress. Very much of those
rules was to be commended, very
much of them had been by the
/ country absolutely condemned. Mr.
| Reed, when he stood up before the
country and spoke of the rules of the
| Fifty-iirst congress, failed to speak of
the practices adopted before the rules
were adopted, which were so odious to
the country. The first action in the
Fifty-first congress which was odious
TO the country was not an action I'M
der any rule but it was the arbitrary,
high-handcd action of the speaker
I without authority of rules or anyone.
When the charges were made against
the last congress- let no one forget, the
first charge was that without author
ity of the house, without that of the
committee on rules, the speaker had
exercised power that had never been
granted him He had assumed upon
himself the power to count n quorum.
The question had gone to the supreme
court and Mr.. Reed had never been
justified. lie had heard Mr.. Reed sew
eral times say the supreme court had
justified his course. The supreme court
had not touched the que stion. The
supreme court has said the house had
the right to make its rules for its own
government and TO make its own pro-
visions for the ascertainment of
quorum, but it had never said the
speaker should make the rules.
The gentleman from Maine had re-
ferred to the power lodged in the com
mon rules Let him call Mr.. Reeds at
tention TO the distinction between the
policy of the gentleman from Maine
and that Of the present committee on
rules The Maine man believed the
speaker should have all power. Under
this system proposed by the committee
on rules II was left to the house 10 de-
eide IL motions were dilatory or not.
The system Of the Fifty-second congress-
and now adopted, was TO maintain, not
the individual Judgment of the chair
but that of the majority of the house.
The speaker was not granted authority
to control legislation; the committee on
rules was not granted such authority;
! IT rests with the majority of the
house. Under the rules proposed,
dilatory motions would be avoided
for the house had due
power TO reach that result by report
from the committee ON rules The
power lodged in the committee was
simply to report II proposition. The
committee could not adopt cloturc. 1t
could not fix the order of business
without the consent of the house, In
the last congress there had been oppo.
sition to the operation of the rules of
the Fifty-arst congress Instead of
! following the old method, when fill.
clustering could not have been stayed
instead of following the rules of the
Fifty-trst congress, the Fifty.second
, congress had taken II middle course.
10 him it was source of pleasure that
the people had indorsed that COURSE
! and returned Il large democratic ma
Q jority to the house. The people hat
: decided they did not believe any mar
, who was sent here as their representa-
tive should become their master Nc
man could dictate to them. Whenever
2 of recent years republicans had come
t into power in this house their lease o.
4 power had been one term. Mr. Keifel
had been speaker one term and then Il,
and his party had been repudatcd
a lie Crisp preferred the approval o
z the people he represented TO tn,
. approval of II man who believed
, he had the right to exercise al
power and claimed, forsooth, that II
doing so he had permitted the ma jorit,
B. to rule, The gentleman from Main,
, OGced) had stated 10y arrogant assertion
that the Fifty-iirst congress should b,
regarded as an example that should b,
followed by all congresses, AgHns
| that proposition be Crisp desired t,
cl enter his protest lie felt, as the PEG
l pie Of the country felt, that the Fifty
first congress WAS an usurpation tina
- olght to be ropudiuted, and with tn,
= people he rcpudidted II here and now.
! Mr. Reed, in reply, said it was unu
sual for the presiding officer of thi
+ body 20 leave his exalted position an,
partuke in the discussion ON the Loor
7 II was even question wherher h
D, ought to do it at all But of this IA,
; made no question. Mr.. Crisp alone
was the Judge OF his action. Ii th,
gentleman did not believe the 9th
er members of the committee on rules
were not adequate for the discussion
l. Il was for him to decide when hi.