The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-08-30
The Speaker Of the House Leaves the
Chair to Deliver Partisan Speech.
In Defending the New Rules he Makes Per-
sonal Atteck on the "Czar" and Receives
q sharp but Courteous Reply.
Nr. Voorhees, Reports the Repeal Bill
with His Bimetallic Substitute.
Senator Hill Wants to Know the State Of the
Revenues-hr Teller Pays His Respects to
the Financial Calamity Howlers."
CRISP AND REED.

CRISP AND REED.
The Speaker and the Ex-speaker Eniivsn
the Proceedings of the House.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 29.-An animated dis
cussion over the rules between Speaker
Crisp and ex-Speaker Reed enlivsned tho
proceedings OF the House to-day. At times
the debate was somewhat personal. and
each Speaker received the plaudits of his
party friends. The rules were called up by
Mr.. Catchings. who. after some discussion,
conceded that there should be general CO.
bate. He briefly explained the changes
made in the rules. When speaking in favor
of the rule making q quorum of the com.
mittee of the whole one hundred members.
he was interrupted by DIR. Kilgore with
the inquiry whether quorum of the com.
mittee of the whole should not be she same
asa quorum of the House. In reply Mr.
CstchIngs said that the adoption of this
rule by the Fifty-tirst Congress was good
and beneficial. Applause.
Mr.. Reed twitted the Democrats upon
their partial approval of the rnles of the
Fifty-tirst Congress. but in a humorous
vein contendeG that they had not gone fan
enough. He then. IN more serious man,
ncr, argued In favor of the rights OF the
majority, which rights had been firmly
maintained in the FIfty-iirst Congress.
Now the House was In the habit of dodR.
ing measures instead of meeting them. lie
criticised the provision of the rules. which,
he claimed. vested the committee on rules
with the authority which should be In
vested in the Speaker. Why not adopt
system of rules W hich would give TO tho
majority control aud take away from the
k..< 80
GRAFTON of measured 1t was better TO
have Speaker exercise power In the fuls
light Of public opinion than TO exercise 10
in the seclusion of the committee room.
Then. for the first time this session. the
Speaker took the hoor. having called Mr..
Richardson. of Tennessee, to the chair,
and replied TO the criticisms of the gentle
man of Maine. He said there were pro-
visions In this code which were taken SUBJ
stantially from the rules of the Fifty-frst
Congress. Neither himself nor any MEM
ber of the committee on rules would re-
frain from reporting rules simply because
they were part of the rules OF the fffty-hrst
Congress. Very much Of those rules was
TO be commended; very much of those rules
had been by the country absolutely con-
demned.
HIT AT THE QUORUM COUNTER.
The gentleman from Maine Mr.. Reed.
when he stood MP before the country and
spoke of the rules Of the Fifty first Con-
gress. failed to speak of the practices
adopted before the rules were adopted
which were so odious TO the country. Ap-
plause.l The first action in the fifty-frst
Congress. which was odious to the country
was not an action under any rule, but 10
was the arbitrary, high-hsnded action on
the part of the Speaker. without authority
of rules: without authority of any one.
L mi. faN nh aodxu
against the Fifty-frst Congress, let no one
forget that the first change was that with.
out authority of the House. without the
authority of the committee on rules.
the Speaker had exercised powe.
to him. [Applause.l He had assumed upon
himself the power 20 count quorum The
question had gone to the Supreme Court OF
the United States, and the gentleman from
had heard the gentleman from Maine sew
eral times say that the Supreme Court had
justified his course. The Supreme Court
b had not touched the question. The Supreme
Court had said that the House had q riRh
to make it's rules for its own government.
and make lite own provisions for tho sscer-
tainment of the presence of o quorum. but
it had never said That the Speaker should
make the rules. Applause.
lodged in the committee on rules. Let
him Crlspl oall the gentleman's attention
To the distinction that existed between the
policy of the gentleman from Maine and
the policy OF the present % %semm%ittss % on on
that power should be lodged lii the Speaker
absolutely to decide what was . diiatory
motion. Under the system proposed by tho
committee on rules il was left TO the House
to decide whether the motion was dilatory
or not. The system adopted by the Fifty
second Congress and now readopted by tho
committee on rules was to maintain. not
the individual Judgment OF the chair. but
the jud Rment Of the majority of the House.
The Speaker was not granted the authorit y
70 control legislation. the committee on
rules was not granted such authority;
tho authority rested In tho majority
Of the House. Under the rules proposed
dilatory motions would bo avoided. for tho
House had the power 10 reach thas result
by report from the committee on rules.
The power lodRed in that committee was
simply TO report q proposition. The com-
mittee could not adopt cloture. It could
not fix the order of business without the
consent of the House. In the Fifty second
Congress there had been opposition 60 the
operation of the rules that had prevailed
In the Fifty-frst Congress. Instead of fol-
lowing the old method, when filibusteripg
couid not have been STAYED: instead of fol.
lowing the rules of the Fifty tirst Con gress.
the Fifty-second Congress had taken o
middle course. To him il was q source OF
pleasure and delight to know that the peo-
turned large Democratic majority 20 the
House. The people had decided
that they did not believe that any
man who was sent here as their re epreee ta-
tive should become their master Ap-
plause.l No man could dictate to them.
lApplause. Whenever. of recent years,
Repu blicans had come into power in this
House. their lease of power has been one
term. Mr.. Keifer had been Speaker one
term. and then be and his party had been re-
pudiated. [Applause. He lCrispl ORE
forred the approval of the people that he
represent ted to the approval of q man who
believed that he had the right 60 exercise
ell power, and claimed. forsootb. that in do
ing so be had permitted the majority to
rule. The gentleman from Maine Mr..
Reed had stated By arrogant assertion
that the Fifty-first Congress should be re-
lowed by all con gresses. Against that
propagation he lCrispl desired TO enter his
protest. He felt. as the people of the coun-
try felt that the Fifty-trst Congress WAS
an usurpstIon that ought TO be repudiated.
and with the people, he repudIated it here
and now. lApplsuse.
Ex-sPEAKER REEDS REPLY.
MIR. Reed. in reply. said that it was un-
usual for the presiding officer of this body
10 leave his exalted position and to par
take In tho discussion on the floor. It was
even question whether he ought TO do IL
at all. But of this action be made no ques-
tion. The gentleman from Georgia Mr..
Crspl alone was the judge of this action.
If the gentleman did not believe that the
afhar A. hara of ha mi vnIan