Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-05-06

-AlENSt
every patriotic heart should be aroused
to an understanding of the indignities
now visited upon the rightful represent
atives of the people.
Like the unconscious victim Of fatal
m alady, the congress of the United
States is exhibiting its strength in the
arrogant defiance of any and everything
that obstructs the will of its master, not
sensible of the fact that its own powers
and its independence are being destroy
ed by the denial to the people of their
right to be represented in the houses.
The distribution of the law-ma king
power equaley among the states in the
senate, without reference to population
and equally among the people in the
apportioninent of representatives in the
house, is the safest provision for the Sc
curity of the right of self government
that the PEOPLE have secure d to them in
the constitution. One of these houses
represents the people in sovereign ca
pacity. acting through their state
governments, and the other represents
them in their popular sovereignty. In
either form of representation every
member in either house is the equal of
every other member and no man can
usurp any authority or have any power
delegated to him to become the abso-
lutte master of his colleagues, or any of
them.
No rule can be constitutionally adopt
en- in either of the houses that would
empower the presiding officer OF any
committee to deny to any member the
privilege of voting, or being heard upon
any measure, or of offering to amend
the same. A member may be restrict
ed as to the length of debate, or as to
his privilege of offering amendments,
by vote of the house, but his right to
be heard in some form cannot be denied
to him by any authority that can be
lodged in the hands of a presiding Of
fcer, to be exercised in a discretionary
way. When presiding officer of either
house refuses to permit a member to
exercise the privilege of presenting a
matter to the body for any reason that
is merely arbitrary or personal to
himself the presiding officer, he there
by unjustly denies the right of repre-
sentation to the constituency of such
member. No denial of right can be
more dangerous to the country than
this, and no motive can bo more worthy
OF repro baton than such concealed
purpose of doing wrong under color of
rightful authority.
This frequent crime is dangerous
enough to the country, but it is insig-
nifcant as compared with the prohibi
ton upon all legislation which results
when one man, or dominate party has
the power and uses it, to deprive either
house of its proper and regular organi-
zation.
1t subverts constitutional govern
ment by denying representation IN the
houses III any rational view OF that
great right. Rules adopted by either
house for government are final and con-
elusive acts that rests upon an express
AMI exclusive grant of power in the
constitution. When adopted, and while
they remain unchanged, they are con-
stitutional obligations. and are clearly
included in the oath to support the
constitution.
Those rules following the parliament
ary law that is universally accepted by
legislative bodies, require the appoint
ment of committees whose numbers are
fixed and whose duties are defined,
each committee having charge of cer-
tain subjects of legislation. Those
subjects include every interest of the
people that the house regards as being
important When the power to ap-
point com mittees is given to the pre-
siding officer or to a committee of the
house the mandate of the constitution
is direct and imperative that such
power shall be fully exercised, and
within a reasonable time. Otherwise
the rights of the persons and localities
or interests that are placed by the rules
in charge of certain com mittees, have
no chance of consideration, and cannot
be regularly or lawfully presented to
that house for action.
When there is no committee of the