The morning times., 1895-12-01
WHEN TOM REED WIS CAR
Exciting Days Recalled by His Re-
Election to Speakership.
RIOTOUS SCENES In HOUSE
History In Brief of One of the Most
Important and Exciting Passages
in the Experience of arliamentary
Bodies, When Members Shrieked
IN Anger and Almost Fought.

The whrligig OF time brings about strange
reYengcs. and probably noEe IN parliament
sry annals Is stranger than that OF the rev.
oluiion in he rules governing the House OF
Representatives accomplished by Thomas
b. Reed afier he was elected Speaker iIs
1889. when he counted members present,
but refusing TO vote. to make quorum.
More remarkable than Reeds action was
the practical adoption by the last Demo-
cratic CongrcsS OF the very rules whose en-
forrcmcnt by Reed caused riotous proceed
iugS. in which cx-Speaker Crisp himself
was oIse of The most conspicuous leaden.
No more important passage has ever oc-
Cured in the parliamentary history of
Congress. and a brief description of the
scenes "f those days will therefore be of es
pecial interest AT this time. when Mr.. Reed
IS once norr 10 take up the gavel which he
welded villa such absolute effect during
the session of lSs9'9o
The memorable triangular battle for the
SpeakeTsH;., in November, 1883, wasscarce-
iy ended i,y the election of Reed when the
word WIS passed, q round that rules would
ee adopted which would absolutely, In the
hands OF Il man OF Reeds nerve and re-
sources, prevent filibustcring. The Demo
rrats were 1t once thrown into a panic. The
headers were interviewed, the propositions
OF Reed, as they Were given 10 the public by
The press correspondents, were denounced
as contrary to all precedent revolutionary,
ntolerabie: and such Democratic leaders as
Mills. Carlisle, and Crisp, declared they
would resist to the utmost all attempts at
their adoption. So violent was the denunci-
alton that even some Republicans were
thrown into condition OF distressing
doubt.
Uncle Joe" Cannon. who had hoped to
ride into The Speaker 5 chairon the contend
ing waves of the Reed and Mckinley fac
uons. was given n pia ce on thee Committee on
Rules, and II WIS asserted that even he was
fearful that Reed was golng 100 FAR and
that he would he forced 20 aniagOniZe him
in the committee. Mckinley was also de-
clared to have shaker his wise Napolconic
head i'll doubt II is Questionable If either
of these gentlemen at any moment had the
least desire TO antagonize or desert their
leader: but even if that be the fact il is
merely another tribute to the power of
Reed and his genius for leadership. as when
the rules were adopted they contained
word and letter, every point demanded bv
this most fearless and aggressive Spca kcr
who ever sat i'll the chair of the House.
ASSEMBLING AFTER HOLIDAYS.
Therirst signs of the coming da VS. of intense
excitement showed conspicuously upon the
Heassembling of Congress on January 8,
1890, after the holiday recess. After a
few minor motions were disposed OF, Mr..
McComas of Maryland Offered a resolution
20 go into a committee of the whole on the
lsls1ElCt VI tolullibld appropriation Dlil-
Mr.. Breckenridge of Kentucky raised the
question Of consideration but the Spea ker
ruled that this could not be raised, as il
was in the nature of motion regulating
the business OF the House. Mr. Breckenridge
appealed from the decision OF the chair.
On this appeal nearly all of the big guns
OF the Demucrats-Brecklnr dge, Carlisle,
Crisp, Bland, and Rogers. the fiery Ala
bamian-were heard, the su bst ance or their
then calm arguments being that the adop-
ton uf the resolution would virtually set
aside all regular procedure and that the
House should know by what laws it was
being governed: whether by general parlia-
ipentary law, coupled with such rules uf
the last House as were adopted from time
TO time, ur whether by any law which the
Speaker chose ta make for the moment.
Most uf the colloQuieS of this debate were
SO pleasant, humorous, and courteous that
an inexperienced observer would not have
suspected the storm that was brewing be-
hinc the harmless looking, rosy-tinted
clouds lying low on the horizon Foc in.
stance, breckenridge, after he had exhausted
his time, proposed to yield five minutes,
-ir he could IL McMilin OF Tennessee,
for "cxplanatiun, anplification, or eiuci-
dation" Of the matter involved in the dis
c.issi9n; and IN his 9pinion :. the gentleman
would de- all three of these"
The Chair does not agree with the gen
tlenlan," said the Speaker.
But, as | have stated said Breckin'
ridge, Il do not now propose TO raise ESs
question of consideration, although 1 no
not agree with the Speaker
The Chair" Mr.. Reed responded pu-
liieIy, lis thankful TO the honorable gen
ilcnian from Kentucky for not differing
him.
Debate upon various measures, prin-
cIpally the Mckinley administrative tariff
bill, proceeded mainly in an orderly manner
for fortnight, with only occasional pro-
tests against the rulings of the Chair.
had been long gathering broke loose.
THE FIRST DECISION.
Representative Dalzell of p Pennsylvania, for
the Committee un Contested Elections.
called up the contested election case OF
Smith VS.. Jackson for immediate consider
alton. Crisp raised the question of CON
sideratiou.
A viva voce vote was taken. and the
Speaker decided the ayes had it. A division
was called for by Mr.. Crisp, and upon
rising vote the Speaker announced 136 ayes
and "A nays. The yeas and nays were or
tiered, and the Speaker at the end OF the
roll call announced 162 yeas, 3 nays and not
voting 163-
Then came the proceeding which in mo-
ment reyolutinniZed the parliamentary gov
ernnent of the House of Representatives.
As the confusion following the announce
meDt of the vote subsided Speaker Reed
calmly said:
to vote
Mr.. Crisp sprang to his feet and shouted,
amid q roar of applause from the Demo-
cratic side:
~ appeal! I appeal from the decision of
the cbairi'
Amid lndescribable confusion, threats,
Qenunciations and excited consultations
among the Democratic leaders. the un-
rasping, penetrating voice of
the Speaker slowly announced the names:
'Mr. blanchard, Mr.. Bland, Mr.. Blount,
MIR. Breckinridge OF Arkansas, Mr.. Breckin-
ridge of Kentucky purpusely selecting the
most distinguished names to lead those not
voting.
in rather bad English:
II deny the power of the Speaker and
Qcnounce it as revolutionary"
A gain the shouts of execratfon and de-
punciation broke loose, and the prospects
were good for an immediate riot accompan-
led by an onslaught on the Speaker. Re-
publicans quietly gathered about, the
OF the House, all Republicans, of course, as
semhled about the doors and lobbies. The
sefgea nt-a t.arms and his assistant were
close at The right hand of the Speaker.
One motion toward the exercise OF phys
ical force. one little scrapping match be-
ween some two superheated members,
would have provoked riot such as would
have made the recent one in the House
pf Commons an insignificant affair indeed.
But that one blow was not struck. The
Speaker, amid the uproar, banged contin-
uousiy on the desk with his gavel.
BEDLAM BROKE LOOSE.
"The House will be in ORDER" he said
In his sarcastic way, beamiDg kindly upon
the Democrats.
Bland was on his feet shouting for the
Of the Speaker, and was heard
10 say that he was responsible to his
and not to the Speaker of
the House. Again bedlam broke loose, the
Speaker surveying the scene with an ex-
preston of mingled amusement, grief and
pity, which was TO the Democrats a very
admixture Of emotions. When
the uproaT had again somewhat sp5sided,
Reed calmly went on with the res ling OF
his list Of names, the clerk ia king them