New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-23

TRy CANCELLATIONS.

I'm the Senate on Tuesday Senator Hale, OF
Maine called attention - the fact that under
the prevailing system of general pairs be-
tween members Of opposite parties 1t Is often
impossible 10 get voting quorum IN the SEN
ate. though many more than enough 10 con-
stitutc a quorum are in and about the Capitol
lie said il had become a common practice Tor
Senators who are paired on general political
questions - decline to vote on any proposition
whatever, even though it involves no question
If a political nature. This abuse of the syS-
tom of pairs has reached point Whcrc II IN
terfcrcs seriously with the transaction of bust
ness, and is especially felt ut the present time,
when only a few days remain Of the session
and the frequent failure Of Il quorum rot1ldS
business senator llalcs remedy for this Is
that there be a general understanding among
senators that the general pairs between mem
bcrS Of opposite parties apply only to the large
political issues, and that on all ordinary qucS-
tions every Senator present shall veto whether
paired or not From the point of view OF
Senators on the floor responding to the roll
call and vanly wrestling against the absurd
ties Of CUSTOM system, tradition, usage and
fixed rules to transact business the proposition
WI
cdy. But as il brings under discussion the
whole system of pairing and the principle in
volvcd, wo venture suggestion OF wider ap-
plcation.
Tho practice of pairing is purely mathemat-
cal-tho arthmctica process Of cancellation
by which an equation may be reduced 10 its
lowest terms through the elimination of OPP
posito factors. II is evidently good thing
Why MT extend it? That is. why not amend
tho rules so that tho paired members shall
count in constituting 4 quorum, and then let
permanent pairs be announced by which an
equal number of members from each party
shall be cancelled for whole session or a
whole Senatorial tcrm9 BY this process con-
siderable number of members of both Houses
would be left ut liberty to attend to their pri-
vato business affairs at homc-as many of them
do now-without any blame attaching to them
for ncglccing the interests Of their constitu-
cnts. II would also tend TO tho dispatch of
business by removing from tho iloor-particu-
larry of the House of Representatives. con-
siderable number OF persons who in tho exist
ng condition Of affairs only 90 wandering
about in IN aimlcsS way, 0bStructng the aslcs
and passages and making unnecessary con-
fusion. Ii would simplify tho business of lcgs
lation and fcw OF them would be missed. The
political equation would remain unchanged,
only reduced to its lowest terms.
1t may be said that a moro direct way to
reach this result would be to reduce representa-
ton, but no enlightened constituency now en-
joying tho high privilege of being represented
at Washington by some statesman of superior
gifts selected by its most cntcrprisng and sue
cc,srul saloonkccpcrs will ever listen to that
proposition. No, the better, indeed the only
practical, remedy for the existing evils of alb
scntccism and pairing and the increasing buLi-
ness of legislative bodies is to lcgalzo the sys-
tenn Of cancellation and establish the practice
Of permanent pairing. Even then there would
remain tho possibility of business being OBJ
structcd indefinitely by some statesman with
loose mouth and large lung power who might
refuse to be paired. In that case it would be
ncccssary-and it could probably be done with
very little difficulty-to pass a constitutional
amendment establishing permanent pair for
him and giving him indefinite leave of alb
sonce. The trouble with Congress is pretty
much tho same as that described by the
thoughtful citizen Of an interior town, who
remarked: "Therc are about 800 dogs in this
town and $50 could do all the busness.n