The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-11
THE HOUSE RULES.

THE HOUSE RULES.
The fact that since 1889 the House of Rep
resentatives has had rules which have given
the majority the power to legislate is caus-
ing some critical and timorous people some
uneasiness lest the speaker of the house
shall become a more absolute power in the
Cover nment than the Car is in Russia THESE
persons did not come to a full realization
of this danger until the late session of Con-
gress yet the same general rule has been
in force since Mr.. Reed was speaker in 1889.
Until that date handful of men could pre-
vent the remainder of the House from leg
islating These fearful souls seem to have
forgotten the periods of 'deadlocks'' in the
House when a handful of members could
prevent the majority from coming to vote
upon a measure day after day. The evil
was growing when Mr.. Reed began to count
a quorum, and he and his committee on
rules devised a code which made it posi-
Bile for the majority to legislate. The
speaker was made the judge of what was
obstructive opposition and the committee
on rules was clothed with power to present
resolutions from time to time declaring that
this or that important measure should be
taken up at certain hour, and, after a
given period had been devoted to discus
sion, the vote on the bill should be taken.
The Democrats in the two houses which
succeeded adopted the same principle in
their rules.
Now, after four Congresses have sat and
worked under these rules, it has occurred
to Jerry Simpson, a writer in the North
American Review and several editors that
this method of procedure involves great
dangers to the liberties of the people.
Nothing else could be expected from the
political harlequin of Kansas than the
senseless assertion that Mr. Reed is the
House, but something fairer and more in
accordance with the facts might have
been expected from others. The fact is
that the majority of the House, and not
the speaker, decreed that tn re should be no
general legislation until the tariff bill
should be enacted. The Journal believes
that the result indicated the wisdom of
that action on the part of the majority.
The country awaited the final disposition
of the tariff question with great Impotence.
The House had responded to public senti-
ment. 1t took up and passed bill which
had been prepared with great care by men
of large experience. When it was consid-
cred in committee of the whole the Jerry
Simpsons in the House did not debate sec
tons of the schedules, but wasted the time
in irrelevant defamation. Subsequently, a
number of days were given to general dis
cussion and the time was devoted in part
to anything else than the tariff. Before
the final vote was taken the House passed
upon several amendments. If the sort of
free debate which is permitted in the SEN
ate had been allowed in the House, and
the old methods of obstruction had been
permitted, the Dingley law would still be
| held up in the House as a bill. A factious
minority of a score of members could have
kept the House from coming to a vote on
the tariff act And this sort of a perform
ance-the obstruction of legislation-is
styled the constitutional rights of the rep
resentatives of the people.
The party which controls the House of
Representatives as the result of a general
election in which the country has passed
direct that body. That majority should
have the unquestioned right to decide what
leading measures shall be taken up and
passed upon. To accomplish this, that ma
jorty should adopt rules which will make
it impossible for a minority to obstruct. If
this is not permitted, then the minority
legisates or rather dictates.
In view of recent experience in the Sen
ate the House method is infinitely superior,
since it is almost within the power of the
minority in the Senate to prevent the ma
jority from legislating. With no limit to
debate, the minority demand conces-
sons as the price of permitting a vote to
be taken on a bill. AS matter of fact,
the opponents of the Dingley bill demanded
of the majority pledge not to attempt to
legisate regarding a monetary commission
as the condition of permitting a vote to
be reached on the tariff bill. By the rules
of the Senate a member can get matter
of minor importance before the Senate and
compel its consideration while important
measures wait. Rules which give a minor
ity power to postpone legislation indefi-
nitely or to defeat it altogether pervert the
rule of the majority, which is the funda-
Of