The Portland daily press., 1894-04-19
THE DEMOCRATIC SURRENDER

We can hardly blame the Democrats for
seeking to disguise their surrender to
Mr.. Reed as much as possible. There is
always some humiliation in surrender
under the most favorable circumstances,
but in this case the circumstances were
very unfavorable, and hence the surren-
der was more than ordinarily humiliat-
ing. Stirring events are so plenty in this
country that a stirring event three years
old is forgotten or at least remembered
only indistinctly. For this reason we must
refresh little the public recollection.
1t was four years ago last January that
Speaker Reed in recording the vote of
the House took cognizance of repre-
sentatives in their seats who did not
vote. Such yelling as followed has rare
ly been heard in any legislative body.
The Democrats vociferated for three days
in succession and the more they vocifer-
ated the angrier they became. Carlisle,
Springer. Mills, Bynum and a host of
Others were on their feet most of the
time demanding recognition in order to
protest against the outrage against
American liberty that had been perpe-
trated by the declaration that present
quorum was all the constitution re-
quired, and that it was perfectly compe-
tent to take cognizance of members
presence though he refused to open his
mouth at roll call. We wish we had
space TO reproduce in full all the various
yells during the three days that Demo-
cratic wrath WAS boiling. But we shall
have. to content ourselves with one--the
loudest and most desperate yell of them
all perhaps-but a fair sample of the
character of the vociferations. 1t came
from the throat of that dyed-in-the-
wool Democrat, Mr.. Bynum of Indiana,
and it was received with storms of ap-
plause on the Democratic side. Said this
representative Democrat addressing the
Speaker:
ing these proceed ings. They have spok-
en- through the press of this country, and
spoken in condemnation of these proceed
ings which will bury you, sir, beyond
the hope of resurrection applause on
the Democratic side.) Men have tried
to consummate such proceedings before.
At the hour of midnight a Federal
judge made n ruling which perpetuated
the Republican party in power, but his
name is now forgotten. This proceed
ing is in keeping with the practices of
your party, and in keeping with your
action when you stole the Presidency
applause on the Democratic side).
You now proceed in this matter, but in
the language of the immortal Emmett,
we propose to dispute every inch of
ground burn every blade of grass, and
the last intrenchment of liberty shall be
our grave.
Four years and two months after this
deliverance the Democratic smem bers of
a House containing forty majority, made
up quite largely of the very same zen
who applauded Mr.. Bynum's resolve to
dispute every inch of ground and burn
every blade of grass, by an over
whelming majority adopted the very prac-
tice that was to bury Mr.. Reed beyond
the hope of resurrection, and few days
later put it in force in the House. The
facts are suggestive enough without
comment. We don't blame the Demo-
Gratis for wanting to disguise their hui
initiation. We should think Bvnum
would want to resign and go home in
search of that last intrenchmnt of
liberty" which was to be "our grave"