New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1893-10-18
A Brutal Test,

A Brutal Test.
The aptest thing said about the reso-
luton of the senate to try a continuous
session as means Of breaking the dead
lock is the remark of one of the New
York papers that it is precisely the same
sort of test, on the same level of brutal
ity, as that resorted to by Sullivan and
Corbett. This is the exact truth. The
whole country is agreed as to the brutal
ity of the prize fight. Even communi-
Ties of the laxest moral ideas have been
forced by public opinion to forbid these
trials of physical force and physical en-
durance until it Isl question to-day
where Mitchell and Corbett can meet
without having their engagement
terminated abruptly by the law.
But the United States senate,
supposed to be the highest legislative
body in the country, absurdly proud of
its "dignity land lesentful of any impu-
tation, finds it necessary, in the process
of legeslating, to descend to the level of
the pugilist and the outlaw. This is
lower fall, worse disgrace than system
of rules which should completely gag
minority, and let majority wreak its
pleasure on defenseless opposition.
Think of it. The passage or failure Of
a law of the highest Importance to be
decided by how long body of men can
stay in continuous session, without prop
er food, except such as they can snatch
in brief visits to the senate restaurant;
without proper sleep, except such maps
as they can catch at their desks or on So
fas in the cloak rooms. We laugh at
the old trial by ordeal, and would lynch
man who tried to find out whether o:
not an old woman were witch by throw
sink or swim. Is the resource to which
the senate is reduced more intelligent or
L
age of it's members is not far from sixty
years, and above rather than below it,
Some of its ablest members, men whose
opinion and votes are most to be sought,
are over seventy. Mr.. Palmer is seven
ty-six, Mr.. Pugh seventy three, Mr..
Dawes seventy seven, Mr.. Sherman sew
enty, Mr.. Morrill, eighty-three. It is It.
quired of men like these that their share
in legislation shall be determined by
their ability to sit night and day, de-
pr1ved of the sustenance that nature de-
mands and their age makes imperative.
If il kills them, they are the losers. If
it mi ures them for the rest of their lives,
that is their lookout. If they refuse the
test, then what they solemnly believe to
be the highest public interests must
suffer.
Is not this the ethics of the prize ring?
Has any physical contest elements of
more deliberate and objectionable bru-
tality? And is there any greater GER
tainty of triumph for the right than if
the leaders of the opposing forces were
to shake dice to see whether the bill
should pass or be defeated2 To this
have we been reduced by the insane re-
fusal Of the senate to adopt system of
rules that shall enable it to control its
own actions. To this has it come, that
the bodies and not the minds Of the aged
men shall be the test of proper legisla-
ton. This savage price must we pay
unless the. passage of law is to be
blocked at any time that a minority
pleases. However this extreme measure
may result, we say that to resort to it is
a blot upon our civilization, and another
disgrace to which the senate voluntarily
submits rather than to adopt a civilized
and nineteenth century code of rules Of
parliamentary procedure : Pio.eer Press.
The Review wants correspondent
who can give CORTLAND the attention q
village Of its size deserves. Will not