The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-03
SPEAKER REEDS DTTY.

SPEAKER REEDS Duty
Speaker geed would confer Tire great
est posslaIs service on This country Z be
would intrssace lnto his manual of par
lisrnsntsry proceedings and enforce n TIE
house provision that speakers r.tst c5n-
fine thetnFai*es 70 the subsect ua8er DE-
bate. This ~ "a fundamental rgle n most
deIl5erstlye bodies, bat st Is entirely ig-
uored IA congress. No matter what the
subject under discussion nay %. any
member feels ar liberty 20 discuss any
other subject In which &c Is .Dserested.
TIE shaae has become - intolerable
that II the speaker does not consider 4
to come wftala bis powers pubic opinion
sin resent Il upon the offenders Mem
bers are not ccntent with injecting their
Views upon all kinds q questions into any
sort Of topic under debate. but seem 70
consider that their membership entities
them 10 ar their private grievances. n
notable instance Of this occurred On
Thursday IN TIE house Of representatives.
when Speaker Reed 60 far called atten-
ton TO the ofeBse as 20 ask. what is
the connection OF Waterloo to Il motion
10 ADJOURN"
That whole day seems 10 have been de-
voted to jaat such irrelevant wanderlngs.
One mausber rose TO a question % per
sonal privilege. ana ssnt TO the clerks
desk 10 pe read ar Associated Press dis
patch dated Lewiston. BE. In which a
person named Ba4eman charged on tins
alleged authority % Knowles, that the
nlifele-of-the-road PopulEsts had accept
cd $3.50 FROM the proceeds Of Ar. Bryans
book. with the understanding that nota-
iag should be done 10 prevent fusion in
1860"
Now. M. Rryan is not member Of
congress. aad Dir. Baten.an is not a uein-
ber OF congress and the statement DID
not affect Mr. Knowles as a member of
congress. i; did not reflect upon afr
knowles as a congressman. nor infringe
his privileges as a congressman. II was
ia no sense question Of privilege. and
the duty OF the speaker under the most
ordinary construction Of parliamentary
rules could have ssienced him. Knowles,
la response to a suggestion BY another
member that this was not a question Of
privilege. said that he had a right 10
denounce "a statement that was false as
bell" and the speaker allowed him to
proceed. OF course he had that right.
hat not Ia that place; he is aot paid
500 a year by the people to denounce
statements which have nothing on earth
to do with BIS privileges as a congress
man. or his duties as a legislator TO the
people.
Another offender on the same day was
man named Settle. who. being permit
ted to interrupt for the purpose OF max
Ing a technical correction Of the journal,
took advantage of the courtesy and male
aa extended speech on the general aues-
ton CT the right OF the house 10 adjourn
over three days al a time. drifted into a
general Arrangement of the Republicans
for not taking action on the bankruptcy
bill, denounced them Tor Indifference as 10
whether civil government or state
OF var existed la Cuba. incidentally re-
ferred 10 the elections az Chicago. Gin
cinnau and Columbus. ana predicted that
a day In November in 1900 would prove
the 'Armageddon and Waterloo OF the
Republican party
even II everything that this unsettled
Settle had said we're true and wise. it is
not to TIE interests NJ the people 10 have
legislation thwartea and the orderly pro-
ceeding of congress interrupted by cam
paign stump speeches. II is notifying
20 have u admit that Popullsts are not
the only offenders. There are one or two
Republicans. especially In the senate, Who
weuld do well 70 take a few lessons IN
parliamentary courtesy and little in
struetiou in parliamentary procedure. 1t
would be a good thins Ter the country
ana a particularly good thing for the
Republican party II Mar Reed should
watch his opportunity and make a right
royal example CT Republican culprit.
The Lesson would than DC free from sus-
psClon of partisan bias.