The Washington times., 1894-04-15
COUNTING A QUORUM.

ulists vote against flibuster-
MEMBER OF ing and for rule imposing
co,,or-,s ,,o,, heavy penalties for a failure
to vote, if present, or for
eolohApo being absent without leave
on any roll-call The Populists will lose
nothing, as we are always present. and gene
rally vote. With but few exceptions they have
been present every day since the 7th OF August
last. unless prevented by sickness. The pub
lie pays every member a good salary for his
time. and it is entitled to his presence and vote
upon every question. The rules provide that
every member present shall vote unless per-
sonally interested in the subject Under consid
Grafton.
The practice of allowing n minority OF over
one hundred members from day TO day, from
week to week, and from month to month, to
not cnly desist from voting. but to interpose
endless, frivolous motions, upon which the
mover and all his allies refuse to vote, not
only transgress the rules, but is a subversion
of the will of the majority. No conservative,
fair-minded business man can subscribe to the
constantly acclaimed declaration that this
only not responsible for legislation, but not
responsible for defiance of all decorum, and
not responsible for unseemly conduct.
Every principle of good government de-
mands that every individual member should
be held responsible for his good or bad stew
ardship individually. II a minority is not re-
sponsible for anything to be done, then it
would be much better for the country that
they be kept at home and from obstructing
the path OF the majority.
Quite half OF the present session has been
consumed in an unseemly rilibuster simply to
crafty the political and personal ambitions
OF few political leaders. It's estimated that
the expenses of the House is s1S per minute.
Such conduct is dictatoTial, autocratic, and
has a tendency to blight all the respect of the
public. If it is possible for it to have any now
for this body Instead of the minority en-
deavoring to relieve much-tried and long
suffering public from hunger and want, it is
trying to convert Congress into political in
cubator, to convert a minority into a majority.
It has been repeatedly asserted on the
floor. and always acquiesced in, that the sole
and only object of this long and expensive
filibuster is to force the present House to
adopt the rules heretofore promulgated by
the party of the minority.
1t is true that the leaders in this vexatious
folly, by long service and vigilance, have Sc
cured just such laws as they desire. They
want no change. With the exception of n
desire for few more gold bonds. they would
gladly take the present code and make 1t as
Interchangeable as that of the Medes and Per-
slams. But majority of the representatives
of this republic of majorities desire change.
From what l have observed during my
scant experience l fear the people will never
have an inning until it largely supplants par
tisanism with individualism, .he professional
politician with the conservative business man,
and substitutes business principles and a de-
sire to benefit the public for the too preva-
lent political expedient and a sole desire TO
place the neck of political antagonist in a
halter, to be drawn in the succeeding cam
paign. JOHN G. BELL.