The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-06-03
Where Speaker Reed is Needed.

1t is true that the president as
presiding officer of the senate cannot
speak, cannot vote unless there hap
pens to be tie, cannot appoint COM
mittees, cannot even call whom he may
please to the chair as his substitute.
But if the place were filled at this time
by man of genius? Who can guess
what might come to pass if Thomas B.
Reed were to preside over the senate
for month? 1t has been his greatest
triumph that he has put an end to the
impossibility of legislation in an uI-
wieldy house. A service possibly even
greater to the country and to the re-
publican party might be rendered by
the man who could make legislation
possible in the senate.
There is curious paralleism OF OBJ
stacles to be overcome. The rules of the
house had been shaped for many years
with view to the protection of the
minority. 1t was well that the minor
ity should be protected, until it came to
defeat all legislation and to block all
public business. Then Speaker Reed
brought his clear intelligence to bear
on the problem, and the power of a
minority to beat majority, and to de-
prive the people of their right to gov
ern through the representatives. they
had selected, suddenly vanished. 1t
has been veritable revolution, and in
behalf of the rights and interests of the
people, and no one can guess how ben
eficial it may prove to be in the end.
But this was but one-half the legisla-
tive reform which the nation finds nee
essary. Speaker Reed knows better
than any other man in the country that
the paralysis of legislation has its priI-
cipal seat in the senate, and that it is
in vain that vitality is given to the
house if men at the other end of the
Capitol can continue to defy the pub
lie will.
1t is in the power of Speaker Reed to
put life into the senate, to break its
paralysis, and to make it once more a
genuine law-making body. Not one
word from him has been received to H.
dictate that he would be willing to un-
dertake 80 great task, or that he
knows how it could be performed, and
yet it is perfectly safe to say that Mr.
Reed, if he were the presiding officer OF
the senate, would very soon terminate
paralysis, make legislation possible
and restore the supremacy of the will
of the people. There is needed moi
80 much change of rules as a change
of the spirit in which the old rules anC
customs are applied. For example, the
ancient law of courtesy needs the ligh
of little common sense; it can never
be courtesy for one man to deprive al
the rest of the senators of their right tC
do their duty and to get public business
transacted.
If Speaker Reed would consent to be
a candidate for vice-president, h'
would not only help the party which he
loves, but he would undertake as great
and valuable service for the country al
that which he rendered in breaking
the power of minority to block all leg
islation in the house. He might quickly
make it utterly impossible for one man
to talk the senate or the country t
death, or for a single dishonest pre-
tence of desire to " submit some re
marks to delay public business indef
initely, or for minute minority of fv'
senators to dictate to more than forty.
five members of that body. There il
no other man in the country so quail
flied as Speaker Reed by pluck, sount
sense, and the enthusiastic backing o
the people, to put an end to Legislative
paralysis in the upper house, and if h'
should consent to be a candidate To-
vice-president, the millions would in
stantly appreciate the exceptional fl
ness of the selection.-New York Tri
bune,