Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-04-20
The Drmocrntic Surrender.

The Car is vindicated. Long live the
Gar We refer to the Hon. Thomas b.
Reed of Maine, denominated the Car be-
cause of his method of counting quorum
when he was speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives. This method was, in brief,
to count as present those Representatives
who were in their seats but who refused to
respond to their names because they wished
to block business. The shafts of the Dem
ocratic statesmen, the Democratic press
and Democratic cuckoos generally were
hurled at Mr.. Reed because of this "high-
handed proceeding, which they claimed
was unprecedented, tyrranous and despotc
But Mr.. Reed continued to play this role
as long as he remained speaker, and the
supreme court rendered a decision declar-
ing his position to be right.
For weeks past, with Democratic ma
jority of 40 more than a quorum in the
House of Representatives, the public bust
ness has been at a standstill simply because
a voting quorum could not be obtained.
Day after day the business transacted has
amounted to little more than the prayer of
the chaplain, the reading of the journal,
and then adjournment. The leaders have
writhed in helplessness, and many methods
have been discussed for compelling the
attendance of absentees. Last Friday,
after the adjournment of the House, a
caucus of the Democratic members was
held to discuss the question. The result
a..
it to be the sense of the caucus that the
committee on rules should formulate and
report to the House rule by means of
which members present but not voting may
be taken into account in determining the
existence or non-eXistence of a quorum.
Speaker Crisp's objection to such humili-
ating surrender was well known, but when
interrogated as to what his course would
be should such resolution be introduced,
he answered that he was a Democrat and
would yield any conviction which he had
| to a Democratic caucus.
On Tuesday the new rule was reported
to the House, and after discussion it was
adopted by vote of 213 to A. The A
nays were all Democratic votes, the Re
publican members all voting for the new
rule. Mr.. Reed bore himself with admra-
BILE dignity and composure while he saw
the Democratic majority adopting the very
method for which he had been assailed and
traduced with such infamous yirulence
He controlled the time for the Republicans,
but by previous arrangement the Republi
cans refrained from taking part in the dis
cussion and Mr.. Reed yielded his time ex,
cept the last two minutes to several gen
tlemen on the Democratic side who were
opposed to the adoption of the rule II
his own brief speech, as the discussion
closed, Mr.. Reed said simply:
81 do not desire to address the House
again upon the general subject. This
scene here today is a more effective address
than any l could make The House i:
about to adopt the principle for which W,
contended in the 5lst Congress, and il
about to adopt it under circumstance
which show cOnclusively to the country it,
value No words that | can ever utte
can add to the importance of the occasion
l congratulate the SD Congress upon tn,
wise decision that it is about to make"
The Republicans cheered wildly afte
the vote adopting the rule was announced
and then crowded around Mr.. Reed to Civ
him congratulations.
The Democratic rule varies from MI