The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-05-11

The Great Issue Proposed TO the Country
by the Ex-Cxap.

The Great Issue Proposed TO the Country
by the ix-Csap.
Republicans think that Mr. Reed IL
rendering a great service To the coun-
try In exposing the partisan character
OF Speaker Crisp's rulings as well as the
absen;ceism OF the democrats.
The less Mr.. Reed has 10 say about
partisan rulings the better. No speaker
was ever more deliberately and osten-
tatiously unfair than Mr. Reed. II has
happened that he has been repeatedly
shut of in his attempts at tilibusterng
| by following precedents which he him.
self established.
As to the abscnteeism OF democratic
members IL is wholly incxcusable. and
there can be no objection TO having at
tention called to IL. OF course. absent
eeism is not confined to democrats,
but the latter icing responsible for
legislation, have stronger reasons for
being in attendance than the mbers
Of the opposition.
Nevertheless, it Is only just, while
ex-Speaker Reed is calling attention to
democratic neglect of duty. that the at
tention of the country should be called
TO what Mr.. Reed is doing lie is OBJ
structing the business Of the house.
lie is refusing and instructing his fol-
lowers to refuse TO attend to the bust.
ness for which they were elected TO
congress- lie is violating the rules Of
the house. While present at the daily
sessions he is pretending to be absent.
a line Of conduct which he has re-
peatedly characterized IS wholly inde-
fensible.
For what purpose Is Mr.. Reed doing
this? To prevent the passage of some
revolutionary measure? To protect the
people from some invasion of their
rights by an arrogant and unscrupu-
lous majority? Not at all Such
emergencies have occasionally arisen
in congress. and have been deemed jus
titication for resort to every sort Of
obstruction that the rules put in the
power Of the minority. II is known
that some of the worst measures evev
introduced into congress have been de-
feated in that way, and the sober sec.
end thought of the country has ap.
proved both the means and the end
But Mr.. Reed is not engaged in any
work of this sort
What Mr.. Reed is trying TO do Is to
force the house to adopt his patent de-
vice for securing quorums whether .
majority of the members vote or not
of counting members present, but re-
fusing 10 vote, and occasionally count
ing members that are not present The
country got along for a hundred years
without any such rule. but Mr.. Reed
wishes to demonstrate that 1t cannot
now go on for a single session without
it. 1t requires no demonstration to
prove that, If majority of the mem
bers will not do their duty. business
cannot be done under any system %
rules But Mr.. Reed is DESTROYS Of OBJ
tanning from the democrats vindica-
ton of his autocratic methods, and he
processes to think this important
enough TO justify him in obstructing
public business. While he is focusing
public attention upon democratic alb
senteeism. he Is also giving the country
the measure Of his conception Of states
manship
No change in the rules can vindicats
the conduct Of Mr.. Reed when he occu-
pied the chair. He and his friends are
fond of referring to decision of the
supreme court that the house could
make rules authorizing the speaker Ia
count q quorum. They call this . vim
dication. As usual. they suppress the
real point Mt issue. Mr.. Reed counted
q quorum before any rule was made
authorizing him to do SO. He PIT under
his feet ruthlcssly the preceden u Of .
hundred years before they had been
| avxlo ~~I sv.o IL hv~ nha L.
the rules 1t Is this act that no change
Of rules can ever justify.
1t is understood that Mr.. Reed u .
candidate for the presidency. II Is, no
doubt, grateful to his feelings TO have
his action rs speaker kept prominently
before the country. II Is pleasant for
him to have the business Of congress at
a standstill awaiting the vindit alton of
the rule which he created and enforced
before the house adopted il Besides.
he must enjoy the spectacle OF seeing
the friends and supporters OF his rivals
for the republican nomination cheer
fully doing his bidding while he seeks
to make himself the great issue and to
demonstrate that business cannot be
done without his consent Neverthe-
less, it remains to be seen whether this
course will impress the country as .
demonstration of the surprising states
manship of Mr.. Reed The great issue
which he proposes to the country is
whether IL is proper TO obstruct pub
lie business in order TO vindicate the
action Of a member whom the coun-
try's bad luck elevated 70 the speaker
ship four or five years ago. This IL
the tremendous issue that the nominal
ton Of Mr. Reed would present to tho
country. Couricr-Journal.
COMMENTS OF THE PRESS.
Thomas r. Reeds rules still. con-
stitute putrid "Reminiscences -Boston
| Herald