The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-08-26
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1897.
A CORRECTION.

The Republican in speaking of Car
Reeds rules in the Democratic con-
vention forgot to mention that the
only democrat in Congress who voted
to sustain those rules was the Hon.
G. K. Buckalew.-.S Sentinel
A sufficient and complete answer to
the above gratuitously false statement
of the Sentinel is, First a reference
to the Congressional Record, vol. FL
part 2, 5Ist, Congress Ist session,
under the date of Feby. IL, 1890,
page 1888, where the proceedings and
vote will be found to which Mr..
Buckalew refers in the speech follow
ing, and where he, solitary and alone
voted "No," on Abbr05aI Of tie
/0mnal: and Second, that portion of
the speech itself, same volume, pages
1873, in which the subject OF the
amendments to the rules is discussed.
And we call attention to his indignant
denunciation of Speaker Reed for his
arbitrary and unheard of ruling.
"Mr. Buckalew. Mr.. Speaker, !
have felt some desire to place upon
the records of our debate, certain
views which hold upon the two main
questions involved in these proposed
amendments of the Rules OF the
House, namely, the question of ascer-
tanning quorum under the constitu-
tion in this House and upon the ques-
tion of dilatory motions.
Now, Sir, on the 2oth of January,
when motion was made to take up
an election case in this House, /
voted against the motion because the
minority Of the committee on elections
were not prepared to consider it. The
subject of rules was also then in pro-
cess Of consideration. l voted against
taking that case up, and as it turned
out l did so alone. Immediately
afterwards, there not being a majority
of the whole House voting on that
motion-immediately afterwards the
speaker took his leap in the dark,
into region hitherto untrodden by
any speaker Of this house-a proceed
ing the outcome of which no human
being can now foretell. He determined
that ne would vote (for that is the sub
stantial result he would vote for the
non-voting members of the House /;
he would place their names on the
record without their consent.
The next morning on motion to
approve that Journal and upon a
motion for the previous question to
stop all debate upon the approval, l
voted mo So likewise in the last
three days upon the question OF the
approval Of the Journal l have voted
"No." These votes will stand upon
the record forever as protest against
the action of the Speaker of this
House. They require no explanation
and no defense but l refer to them
for the purpose of indicating my posi-
ton upon this question of making a
quorum. hold that this power is to
be resorted to only upon extraordinary
occasions not upon usual ones. On
the other hand, l hold that the men,
bers of this House have that right
under the Constitution and the law of
the House, and that when the Speaker
violates that right his conduct instead
of being approved should be strongly
condemned. 1t has not yet, at least
formally, received the approval of a
majority of all the members of this
House.
In brief-and this will conclude my
remarks on this point-I consider this
power to demand a majority vote of
the House on bill or on ordering the
previous question aefensioe power,
a protective power, to be resorted to
by members to defend their right to
debate bills, and when they seek to
protect their people as far as they can
against grievous and prohigate laws.
1t is not to be used as an aggressive
power or upon slight occasions of
offense."