The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-01
The House Can Do No Business
Until He Gives Permission.
GREAT NEED OF LEGIsLATIoN-IM-
PoRTANT MEASURES REQUIRE
IMMEDIATE ACTIoN-THE BEST
MINDS IN LEGAL CIRCLES CON-
CUR WITH MIR. MORGAN AS TO
THE UNCoNsTITUTIoNAL1TY OF
THE METHODS IN FORCE IN THE
HOUSE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS
PAST.
GREAT NEED oFLEGIsLATIoN-rM-


PAST.
Washington, May 31.-speaker Reed
sat III the cloak room on the Republican
SIDE OF the Senate Saturday afternoon
during most OF the time Senator Morgan
was animadverting upon the extraordi-
nary aud peculiar processes..through which
one man dominated absolutely the other
three hundred and fifty.siX Representa-.
tives in the Congress of these United
States. The habitual cynical smile which
plays around the mouth of the Speaker
was deepened again and again as he made
running comments to those around him
upon the words of the Alabama Senator,
and once, if not oftener, his shameless
laugh echoed within the precincts of the
Senate chamber
Gallons as he is to all criticism and Sc.
cure rs he is in the blind obedience of the
men whom he has made his abiect polit-
ical slaves. it is, nevertheless, believed
that Mr. Reed will breathe freer when the
tariff bill is finally out of the way, and he
| Will no longer be put to the necessity of
| pursuing tactics which can never be JUS
| Titled. Indeed, IL faith can be placed in
current gossip, Mr.. Reed in his heart re-
grets entering upon Il course which he
thinks he cannot afford to ieviate from.
| The best minds in legal sscircles concur
In the doubts suggested by Mr.. Morgan
ns to the constitutionalty of what has
been going on in the House for some
weeks past Apart from this grave ques-
ton, neither Mr.. Reed nor any of his de-
Tenders can possibly furnish n practical
reason Tor the inaction of the House,
made compulsory by him. There is no
one in the least familiar with the proceed
ure of the Senate who is not perfectly we'll
| aware that its action on the tariff bill
! will not be hastened one day or one hour
| By the tactics Of the Speaker. AS said by
]. Mr.. Morgan, the Senate has passed n
hundred or more bills which the House
could easily have disposed of while doing
nothing. The Republicans promised re-
lief to the country, and all the relief
which Mr.. Reed intends it shall haze is
an Increase in taxation.
| we'll cons idered bankruptcy bill would
he boon to the country. But for Mr.
Reed, the House would now be engaged
| i'll the revision of the Senate bill. Mr..
Reed could easily prevent the consider,-
| ton of.theCuban belligerency resolution,
upon which there is wide divergence of
| opinion, but why should he insist upon
postponing for another year matters of
the utmost public necessity? There has
been little, if any, outward evidence of
dissent from Mr. Reeds views among the
Republican members of either branch o;
Congress, which only shows the wonder.
| full discipline which prevails in the Re.
publican party. There are not dozen
| Republican Senators who think he is do
| ing right, and there is not the slightest
doubt majority, and large majority, of
the Republican members of the House
would be glad to go on with the public
business if he would permit them.
The failure of the House to consider
the report upon sundry civil appropria-
| ton bill and the resolution making i'm
mediately available certain appropriations
for the use of the government is causing
no little Embarrassment. The govern
ment printing Office will he without
money to defray current expenses after
today. The bureau of printing and en-
craving is also embarrassed while the
courts of the city are without money to
pay either witnesses or juror fees. Some
of these expenses are .provi' led for in the
special resolution which passed the SEN
ate the first of last week, and the re.
mainder are provided Tor in the general
deficiency bill which is still in the Senate
committee on appropriations For the
latter the House is not in any manner re-
sponsible, but Senators may very we'll
! feel that it is useless to send additional
bills to the House when it has refused to
consider those now before it,
| There never was u minority in legis.
lative body so effectually deprived OF
nearly every vestige of constitutional and
par iamentary right as the Democrats in
the House of Representatives.. The
| Speaker even at times brutally denies
them the sacred right of an appeal.
Doubtless he would be not less ruthless
with individual mem bers on his own side
SHOULD any Of them have the temerity to
oppose him. The Republicans OF the
Senate and of the House are not very
happy family just now The Senate Re-
publicans have no admiration for the pc.
,ition in which Mr. Reed has placed
things. Then the party in the two houses
finds itself in diametrically.so opposite atti-
tudes on the tariff because. according to
the statements of Mr.. Dingley in the
House and Mr.. Aldrich in the Senate, the
measure for which each is sponsor is
framed en- lines totally different from the
other. Mr.. Dingleys measure was for
revenue and protection. Mr.. Aldrich ex.
pressly states his measure to ,,be for pro.
lection and frankly comedies no revenue
can he expected from it for two years. To