The herald., 1897-02-28
THE AMERICAN CAR

Cleveland Moffatt. who was for many
years a newspaper correspondent in
Washington, and who understands
probably as we'll as any man in the
country the true inwardness Of our po-
litical system, has been contributing to
a popular magazine a series of imagin-
ative tales that are supposed to convey
a practical moral. One Of these stories
describes a man who is possessed of an
inordinate ambition for political power,
and who is provided with the means,
financial and intellectual, to carry out
his desire. He begins with the intention
Of ultimately securing the presidency,
but as he draws nearer to the goal and
comes to have better understanding of
the situation, he discovers that the
presidency is not the first political office
Of the country, but that there exists un
der our present system position of
much greater influence and authority;
so he makes for that.
The office for which he finally con-
cludes to strike is the speakership of
the house Of representatives.
A few years ago when the Republicans
had control of all three branches Of the
small majority, Thomas Bracket Reed
Of Maine was selected to do little piece
of fine work that needed brains-which
he undoubtedly possesses-coolness.
nerve, and the disposition of despot.
1t was bad job, but it may be said that
it was we'll and thoroughly done. Since
the beginning Of things with this gov
ernment certain rules or precedents had
prevailed, which in the judgment Of the
best and the greatest men of the coun-
try. were necessary to preserve the
rights Of the minority party and Of in
dividual members and the sections that
they represent. With an insolent wave
of the gavel the new speaker swept
these all away and a resolution was
consummated in the political affairs of
the nation. The Republican party,
which subscrbes to the handy doctrine
that whatever is done for "our side"
must be right, whether it be the false
counting in of a president or the over
throwing of free institutions, looked on
and applauded. 1t was great fun and
Speaker Reed was a hero.
1t was one thing to create a power
and an entirely different matter to con-
troll 1t when once created. Thomas
Bracket Reed, browbeating a minority
and trampling their rights under foot,
was, from the Republican point of view,
But the same Reed, using the opportun-
ity thus placed in his hands to lead his
own party around in the leash, is not
quite so funny.
1t was most appropriate that the ut
terance of a protest against the new
deepotism should come from a Demo-
crat, but it Is most significant that the
applause to his sentiments should come
with the greatest vehemence from the
Republican side Of the house. The same
set of rules that will gag the minority
party can be used to effect an absolute
control in the majority.
There was time when the house OF
representatives was deliberative body,
and there was fair play for all sides of
a question. We were won't to have
government by the people. We have
now a government by Thomas Bracket
Reed. He makes good jokes, does Mr..
Reed. Many of them have been at the
expense of the Democratic party, but
this one, the most deadly of all, is at
the expense of his own political fol-
lowing.