New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-02
THE SPEAKERS CALIBRE TOO SMALL FOR
HIS ATTEMPTED ROLE
SCENES IN THE NATIONAL HOUSE OF REPRE-
s,.,r ,rrvr. ~ THE yoY.oNEuL ELEc-
TON CONTEST MIR. REED \ TAR
GET FOR \ SCORE or ADvER
sAR1rs - THE SPEAKER
ARBITRARY AND
ANGRY
fry ryryGr.rH TO ruy rrigrxEA

IL was the Seignorage bill veto thit ah'''e" "'''
Whatever 4; was he was not improved oy "en's
COMPELLED TO give up the Georgia Senatorship' Inc
Speaker OF the House with partisan majority o'
ninety or more behind him Is In all situations
powerfully equipped TO do as he peaSes' but II
takes "A great man 10 make an imposing "eSpo''
Second-rate men should never try 10 pay ~ JUN
role. ,e,
Mr. Crisp has hitherto been reasonably h"''' !"
Of this point Indeed he has rather prided h''hSei
on his studied moderation, and on having demon
s,,,taI that partisan success does not require
sneaker to be a "tyrant'-this, OF course hcihs d
shat; at MI Reed. The obvious difference OF oV"-
di;,ous in a Congress whore the Speaker has ma
ioritv at his back OF nearly lJ ana one ""e'r '.'
majority IL less than a is overlooked IN ad-
vancing this claim--but that IS small "la''e''
CRISP TRIES THE DEsPoTs ROLE.
Last week however MIR. Crisp undertook TO be
law unto himself Men are occasionally born INTO
tho world who can 10 that but they are eX-
,re,nev rare TO 30 II IN body Ike the American
Congress a man must possess not Only 'N""o'
binary strength 81 character. but an Apprehension
as quck and subtle rs electricity ITSELF anu "
quality Of precise and definite expression "h'h j.
c,nab,e OF showing the fires, distinctions 10 the
least active minds: for the House IL suppos~i 10
no governed bv A code OF rules. and II the speaker
proposcs TO substitute his personal Will Tor these
statutes he must be able to make II appear 'h"'
they are harmonious. however hostile they may
really be- II it is true that Mr. Reed governed me
LIS, Congress automatically. he dill It with such
skill that he and his supporters were always anle
TO show . Justification in rules and practice Tor
his decisions 4 wan;on vulgar fracture of the
rules he was Incapable Of
For the last ten days the Democrats. with th'lr
bulky ma jority have been unsucccssfuliy cndeaVorng
TO unseat MIR Joy. OF 81. Louis. and TO put III MS
place a man who has been member of several
congresses and who has "A considerable number OF
friar the Southern ana western
Democrats As an cx-membcr he is entitled 10 the
privileges Of the floor. and he rises hem Tor All they
are worth I'm keeping his supporters In line IN"
rules say that n member must vote. but speaker
crlsp i'm deciding the point Of order that member
who has not voted IL in disorder and must be
brought TO The bar Of the House for punishment.
has construed the rule to mean that "A member
Mood not vot. unless he wishes TO. and that there
- no power I'm the rules 10 compel him 10 vot" or
20 enforce penalty for his refusal to vote. Inc
Republicans therefore. have on MANY OCCASIONS
RETAINED from voting. ana there not being ma
ior!tv Of tn" whole Iousr responding to roll-cal
the have been able to DELAY or to defeat many
Democratic schemes Their motive IL twofod
First 10 defeat the pending measure II they can. or
at least to ventate II Thoroughly In n" presencr
OF the country and second 10 expose IN" folly OF
rules which permit members 10 exercise freat"r
POTENCY over the action % tho House bv avoiding
their duty than they would bc able 10 exercise II
THE DtTCffrss COUNTY STEAL OVER AGAIN
They have adopted this policy IN defending Mr.
JOY against the rape Of his scl'. In It, essential
characteristics this case s entirely similar 70 the
case OF the quad marked ballots IN Du;chos~
County. y. Y. Mir. Joy had majority Of - oyer
Mr O'Ncill according To- the oftcla! returns The
Missouri Ballot law required that there shall De
two ballot clerks At evcry pol! and that these clerks
shall Initial all ballots delivered 70 vocr'. hpt the
law does not say that ballots NO; 80 initiated once
deposited shall not b. counted There were 90
ballots rast In the Joy-O Nslil district which hai
on them the Initials OF only one ballot clerk and
they were so divided between the candidaes that by
throwins~them out O'Neill IL elected by majority
Of two votes NJ claim ls made Of fraudulent intont
on the rSrt ~ the ballot clerks voters II &C. pro
r,oscl 70 dsfranchse these voters simply bccau 20
Mr. O'NelH Is Democrat and desires 10 BE- a Con-
gresham
Numbers Of highly intelligent AMI discriminating
persons contend that there Is an entire absence OF
moral scruple in the official Democratic party. but
this f.. demonstrably error FOR ter ~ the 2is
Democratic members have been voting against the
contamination " this outrage and others have cN-
pressed their scruples In melancholy silence when
ever the roll has been called. The rcsuit IL that
nearly a week was consumed before M majority
was able 10 muster enough votes TO adopt the
resolution to take mp the case and al no tme since
they got Il up have they been able to brnS together
the votes to dispose Of It, Day after day has been
spent In rollcalls but with other effect than to
dlsclos. the absence of a quorum.
MOTIONS CROSS MOTIONS. ROLL-CALIs AND
CALLS
Mr. Patterson. who Is In charge of the case a
0orid gentleman from Tennessee. will rls and move
that the House adopt the majority report The
Speaker viii put the question. and there viii b.
volume Of stormy ayes and then volume OF
explosive noes" The Speaker will say that the
ayes seem to have It, AMI Mr.. Reed viii call for a
division" The Speaker will direct the ayes 10
arise and then Mr.. Reed will demand telers. Mr..
Patterson will cut Off this demand by calling for a
rollcal and the Speaker win direct those who in
favor Of rollcall arise and stand until they
count the rules requiring this demand TO be sup
ported by one-hfth OF the members present The
sufficient number having arisen the call viii pro-
ceeI The Republicans will not vote. and II will
appear that those In favor OF the resolution are
less than a quorum OF the House Thereupon Mr.
Patterson will demand call OF the House. which
IS a proceeding ntende1 10 procure under penalties
the attendance OF absent members. Half an hour
or more Will be consumed In disposing OF dlatory
motions preliminary 10 the cal OF the House ana
then the clerk will once more rrcte the roll
Everybody present Republicans and Democrats. will
say Here when his name Is called, and IL Will
appear that a quorum Is on the nO9r MI. fatter-
son win move that proceedings under the call be
suspended, and pending that motion Mr.. Reed Will
move TO adjourn lie or some one else Will de
and when it is disposed Of the struggle Will be
renewed upon the renewal OF Mr. Patterson
original motion to adopt his report Ana IN thls
enlargement 81 motions cross-motons. rollcails
and calls OF the House. day after day has been
consumed.
BUSINESS METHODS OF THE List CONGRESS-.
In the glorious days OF the List Congress none
OF this id!otc business possible. for when the
roll had been called and less than quorum had
responded TO their names. the Speaker would direct
the clerk TO enter upon the journal the names OF
those who present and not voting, TO the
number sufficient to show the fact that a
quorum was there: and II the Democrats attempted
TO break a quorum by leaving the room he would
order the doors be locked. and II they adjourned
10 the cloak rooms ne would direct the Sergeant
alarms produce them or II they attempted
TO switch the House from the consideration OF the
pending resolution by motions to adjourn or to re,
commit, to do various other things. he would
take the sense OF the House one such motion and
would refuse TO put another thereafter NJ the same
stage OF the proceedings the ground that II
was obstructive and diatory. But the Democrats
have refused 10 adopt these rules. and Speaker
Crisp has said that he would resign before ~