Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1898-04-14

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will enable dishonest man In the
chair TO perpetrate all sorts of jobs and
steals. / do not believe that Sherman
could be induced to make false count,
but If his ruling is followed that is pre-
ciselv what some scoundrel in the chair
will do. Sherman's intentions may be
good, but we are told that "heli is
paved with good Intentions" and stu
dents of history know only too well
that some Of the greatest ealamities
which have afflicted the world or re-
tarded the progress of freed government
have been brought about by the ill ad-,
vised action Of men whose integrity
was above question.
The demand for tellers is made not
only to give greater accuracy to the
count, but also to ascertain whether
quorum is present.
A Sample Outrage.
On Friday. March %, 1898, on a viva
soce vote ON an amendment, Sherman
declared 'the noes appear to have it,
whereupon both Bailey and Hartman
demanded division, which means
o count on rising vote; result-yeas.
IS; nays, SO. Mark you. only SO MEM
bers were present according TO Sher-
mans own count. while 100 are reQuir-
ed under the rule to constitute quorum
of the committee Bailey demanded
tellers and in SO doing was acting in
strict conformity with the preoedents Of
100 years. Mr. Payne of New York
raised the point of order that the de-
mand for tellers was dilatory and made
for the purpose of delay, and, marvellous
to tell, Sherman sustained the point Of
order and refused tellers-refused the
privilege of ascertaining il his count
was correct and if a quorum was pres
ent-thereby driving one more nail into
the coffin of congressional free speech
and thereby making precedent which
may open the gates Of the treasury wide
for public plunderers and may expedite
tyrannous legislation.
Bailey appealed from the decision of
the chair, as he had perfect right to
do. Again Payne interposed the point
of order that the appeal was dilatory.
Sherman sustained the point and refused
to allow the appeal, and the committee
| proceeded to business In fragrant VIOLA
| tion of the rules Of the house without q
quorum being present, for 16 plus 66 do
| not make 100, unless Sherman over
threw all the rules Of arithmetic as well
| as all parliamentary precedents. But,
then, the Republicans never have paid
any respect to the principles of arith-
metio when they stood in the way Of
accomplishing party purpose.
It avails nothing to say that all these
proceedings were had about small
matter, therefore are inconsequential.
Ii they can be had about small matter,
| they can be had about large one.
Nor will 1t do to say that Bailey q
| motions we're dilatory, for that leads
inevitably to this conclusion-that no
difference what motion or demand is
made. no matter how grave, important
or farreaohing 1t may be, the occupant
| Of the chair can shunt it out Of the way
by the simple plan, the easy plan, of de-
olaring it to be dilatory. That would be
an end of all parliamentary proceed.
| ings, for the house would then be COM
| pletely squelched and the presiding OFF,
| Ger would be 1.-THE whole thing"
My Republican taxpaying friend, how
| do you like 1t? In your exultation at
seeing Democrats, Populists and Silver
Republicans sat upon are you willing
to have all the safeguards of the integ-
rity of legislation torn down, the doors
of the treasury thrown wide open to
thieves and the priceless boon Of free
speech taken from American representa-
tives? If you do like it, you are big
ger fool than Thompson's colt, which
SWAN the Mississippi river to get a
drink. Have you and your children no
interest in having measures debated un-
| til they are understood by the members?
| II you have, you had better help elect a
| congress of Democrats, who always per-
NIT ample debate and who obey the
| constitution and the rules Of the house.
| It has taken many words to state this
matter fully, but If they arouse public
! thought to what is going on here they
will not have been written in vain..
II Mr.. Sherman, instead Of being an
honest man, were the most conscience
less corruptionist in the land, il instead
| of being patriot according to his
lights, which are sometimes lamentably
| dim and Pickering, he were an embryo
Cesar or Napoleon, he could not have
done worse days work for free gov
eEnment and purity In legislation.
| An Appropriate Epitaph.
When the Republican party is laid in
its grave-as it will be in 1900-this
should be its epitaph: "Its days were
many and full Of evil"
| Most persons have read the weird
story of "Sindbad the Sailor" 1t Is be-
ing re-enacted in this country now on a
huge scale with the Republican party
in the title role and Lyman j. Gage
playing the part Of the Old Man Of the
Sea. Sindbad finally dumped his merci-
less rider and killed him. Wbather his
performance will be duplicated by the
disgusted Republicans can be at this
moment only matter of conjecture.
Let us hope they will not. Long life to
Lyman, provided he will hold on to the
McHannaitesl They buck like wild
bronchos. but he appears to have firm
seat on his victims neck and is riding
1t furiously into the bottomless abyss.
1 save me ITOIu u Cduulu lIseuu 1s y
saying which has passed into a proverb
Lyman's g candor is exceeded only by his
egotism and his mania for speechifying.
He is not an orator as Brutus was, but,
like Mark Antony, is "a plain, blunt
man who loves his''-theory, and that
is precisely why he is a killing frost on
the budding hopes Of sundry Republican
statesmen. When he declared before the
committee on banking and currency
that the prime object of his bill sis to
more thoroughly establish the gold
standard in this country" he knocked
the underpinnings out from under many
q Republican air castle. With those
ominous words ringing in their ears.
divers Republican statesmen with pro-
phetic ken saw their seats in the Fifty
sixth congress 90 glimmering. Lyman
ranks with King Herod as destroyer
of the innocents-if Republican con-
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