Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-30
Elk CAR AND CRISP
Gross lances on the Question
House Of Rules.
THE SPEAKER TAKES THE FLOOR

And Replies to Some Criticisms Made by
His Predecessor in ;he Chair, Who Comes
Back with a Characteristic Comment
How the Parties Voted on the silver Bill
The senate Asked to Push the Repeal
Measure.
WAsHINGToS, Aug 31.-There was Il
clash OF oratory in the house, over the new
rules, between the eX-speaker and the
speaker in which the "czar" reiterated his
faith in the rules Of the Fifty-first house
and the speaker admitted that some of
them were good, but tainted Reed with
the fact that Democrats who had de-
nounced the rules of the Fifty first house.
had leen returned to the next congress-
Reed made reply in his dry and sarcastic
manner and this was about the only Incl
dent that enlvened the session CatchinCs
called up the report Of the committee on
rules, and wanted to limit debate. Reed
antagOnized this. and succeeded in obtain
ing general debate.
The Ex-Czar Sees an Opening.
Catchings began to explain the changes
in the new rules and when speaking in
favor OF the rule making quorum of the
committee of the whole 100 members Catch
ings was int -rupt d by Kugore with the
inquiry whether quorum of the commit
tee OF the whole should not be the same
as tn" quorum of the house In reply
Catchings said that the adoption of this
rule BY the Fifty-first congress - as good
and beneficial. [ApplaCseJ
Reed twitted the Democrats upon their
partial approval of the rules OF the Fifty
first congress, but in humorous vein,
and contended tn st they had not gone far
enough. He then in a more serious man
ner argued in favor OF the rights of the
majority, which rights had been firmly
maintained in the Fifty-first congress.
Why not, he said, adopt = system of rules
which would give TO the majority control
and take away from the flibusterer his
opportunity to stop the consideration of
measure; 1t was better to have a speaker
exercise power in the full light of public
opinion than t. exercise it in the seclusion
OF the committee room.
Crisp Loaded for the Occasion
As Reed sat down it became evident that
the rules committee had anticipated his
remarks and had prepared for an answer
Speaker Crisp took the floor calling Rich
ardsOn Of Tennessee to the chair. He said
there were provisions in this code which
were taken substantially from the rules OF
the tlfty-tirst congress-. Neither himself
nor any member OF the committee on rules
would refrain from reporting rules simply
because they were part of the rules Of the
tfty-irst congress. Very much of those
rules was TO be commended. very much of
those rules had been by the country abso-
lrtely condemned. The gentleman from
Maine, when he stood up before the coun-
try and spoke of the rules of the Fifty-first
congress, failed 10 speak Of the practices
adopted before the rules were adopted.
which were 50 odious TO the country Zap
plausel.
Reeds First Assumption of Power.
When the charges were made against
the Fifty first congress let no one forget
that tie first charge was that without au-
thorit, of the house, without the author
ity of the committee on rules, the spe,. ker
had exercised power that had never been
granted to him. lApplaUsel. He had as
sumed upon himself the power to count a
quorum. The question had gore to the
supreme court of the United States and
the gentleman from Maine had never been
justified. Ee had heard the gentleman
from Maine several times say that the su-
preme court had justified his course The
supreme court had not touched the cues
ton.
Lett 10 tue JuuS ment oil the House.
The gentleman had referred to the power
lodged in the committee on rules Let
him Crisp call the gentleman's attention
to the distinction that existed between the
policy of the gentleman from Maine and
the present committee on rules. The gen
tleman from Maine believed that power
should be lodged in the speaker absolutely
to decide what was dilatory motion I'm
der the section proposed by the committee
on rules it was left to the house Ito decide
whether the motion was dilatory or not.
The system adopted by the Fifty-second
congrrse, and now readopted by the com
mittee Oh rules, was to maintain. not the
the individual judgment of the chair. but
the judgment OF the majority of the house
Can't Dictate to the People.
To him it was source Of pleasure and
delight that the people had endorsed that
course and had returned a large Demo
cratic majority to the house. The people
had decided that they did not believe that
any man who was sent here as their repre-
sentative should become their master
IApplausel No man could dictate to them.
IApplausel. Whenever of recent years
Republicans had come into power in this
house their lease of power had been one
term. Mr.. keifer had been speaker one
term and then he and his party had been
repudiated.
Charges Reed With Arrogance
The gentleman from Maine (Reed) had
stated by arrogant assertion that the
Fifty-first congress should be regarded as
an example that should be followed by all
congresses. Against that proposition he
Crisp desired to enter his protest He
felt-as che people of this country felt
that the Fifty-first congress was usurpa-
tion that ought to be repudiated a
with the people he repudiated it, here and
now. [Applause.]
Ex-CxAR EXPRESSES REGRETS.