New-York tribune., 1894-04-13
THE ARREST or ABSENT MEMBERS


Mr.. Reed is doing good service 10 the country
in exposing not merely the partisan dishonesty
Of Sneaker Crisp's rulings. hut the habit ~ alb
scntccsm into which the Democratic members
Of Congress have fallen. Their majority is
nearly 100. and yet it takes two weeks OF The
hardest kind Of drubblng to get together a bare
quorum Of them. 70 make the matter worse. no
sooner is the quorum obtained, and the partisan
business that made its procurement necessary
disposed Of. than 1t promptly disappears.
quorum was got last week 10 steal Mr.. Joys
seat. and was further utilized to pile up a big
Democratic vote 10 override The President
Sccnorace veto: but 1t had vanished before the
week was out and with curious effect. Oh
account of which the Jority Is now in trouble.
While the struggle 90 unscat Mr.. Joy was AT lis
height the Committee on Rules brought in
scourgc in the shape Of a rule resembling all
leaves of absence except for sickness and di-
rcctlng the Scrccant-at-Arms 10 arrest all ali
sent members and bring them TO the bar Of the
House. and making the order continuous from
day 10 day until withdrawn by the llous"
This drastic resolution was offered while The
House was without voting quorum. Less than
n quorum voted upon the question Of It's adOp-
ton, and when Mr. Reed made the point OF 10
quorum the Speaker ruled that the House was
proceeding under call, the parliamentary name
for measure looking to the procurement Of the
attendance Of absent members. and he held
that n quorum was not necessary 10 the adop-
tion Of any resolution intended TO make the
call effective Mr.. Reed inquired at that time
II the Chair realized 1t was holding that
less than quorum could do what only
quorum could undo, but the Speaker was not
moved by that suggestion. The fact Is that he
was moved by nothing logical or rational or
legal or becoming. He was not there 10 make
moral or legal distinctions. lie was there sim
ply for the purpose Of giving effect TO partisan
determination TO commit the larceny Of Mr. joys
and Mr. Hilborns seats, and he was ready 10
do ANYTHING that seemed necessary at the time
for that purpose, no matter what might be the
precedent It set the contradiction it involved, or
the ENHANCEMENT it got him into The Sergeant
alarms did nothing under the resolution He
was not expected TO do anything more than to
make a show He had private instructions,
doubtless. TO disobey the order 1t was sup
posed that the mere publication Of the order
in the newspapers and little earnest telegraph
ing by the Sergeantat-Arms would be enough
TO bring on the small number Of Democratic
members necessary to make the quorum, and it
was feared that the country would no offended
by the expenditure Of the sum of money neces
sary to give real effect to the order. In other
words, the order was a piece of buncombe, and
was so intended Mt the time. Finally the
quorum came together. Mr.. Joy and Mr. Hill
born were straightway robbed and elected from
the Capitol. The vote was taken on the veto
message and the chronic Democratic abscnecs
hurried away on the next train.
The resolution, however, had been overlooked
and 1t is still in effect. All the leaves are still
withdrawn, and the Sergeantat-Arms Is yet
under orders to arrest all absent members, for
| at no time since the day on which the larcenies
! were committed have the Democrats had