The San Francisco call., 1899-09-02
REEDS SIDE OF 1T.

\AI a change in the rules Of the House OF Repre-
sentatives the change is by means re-
turn to the old system which put the House at the
mercy of one man on the floor and LETT the majority
and the Speaker helpless. An incautious boast OF
Roger Q. Mills at the beginning of the long session
i'll December 1885, caused the revolution effected by
Speaker Reed Mr. Mills declared that the minority
would the rules of the House to prevent any
tariff legislation by the Republican majority This
could be done by the system OF alternating motions
and by refusing to answer a rolcall when No
quorum was raised The Republican ma Ority was
small that to keep quorum in place was d1ttcult
ii the strong minority broke it by Constructive alb
sence, that IS, by refusing to answer when called
Reeds was bold and required the nerve and
GOODNESS OF leader OF men. The rules had to be
changed in order to defeat the plan OF Mr.. Mills but
their change was impossible unless the Republican
majority of quorum could be made effective. When
the changed rules were before the House, with
majority OF Republicans present but not a majority
OF the whole House, Reed ordered a count OF the
members present, not by rolcall but by tally OF
members. He then put the question and the rules
were changed by the vote of the Republican major
ity OF quorum, the minority refusing to vote.
Reeds act was purely arbitrary, but without it the
old way would have continued, and by filbustering
with the alternating motions and constructive alb
sence of silent members who physically present
the actual majority of the House would have
maned powerless In preceding session, the
question of the erection OF Oklahoma into Terri
tory, General Weaver OF Iowa held the House for
days by flibusterng, and declared that under the
rules one could run the House he proposed to
be that man. Nothing in parliamentary his
tory had equaed the rage and bitterness with which
Reed attacked by the minority. He threat
ened derided, denounced and criticized even by
bers OF his party, many OF whom doubted the
propriety of his action But he went sereney
through it all, and was not ruffed even when Buck
kilgore kicked down one of the doors of the cham
Der to escape arrest by the sergeant arms
When he made any reply to the abuse which ragged
around him it was by humor satire or epgram
The case went to the country in the Congressional
elections of 1890 and the Republicans were swept out
OF the House The Democrats elected a majority so
large that the Republican and Populist members
could all absent themselves and the Democrats had
majority largely in excess OF quorum that the
absentees were not missed. Mr.. Crisp was elected
Speaker and then followed the humiliatng spectacle
OF that large party majority being so nattentive to
its duty that to transact the public business at ALL
the Speaker was compelled to resort to modification
OF Reeds rules in order get legislation, The very
members who when candidates had to the people de
nounced Reed with matchess bitterness by their in
change he made in procedure. When he returned to
the Speakership his rules were elaborated The
House authorized him to appoint Committee on
Rules, which practically took charge OF the business
OF the House. It arranged the order in which bills
should come up, the time given to their discussion
the share allotted to the majority and minority and
the hour at which vote should be taken There
after when Reed attacked for the action of this
committee he turned upon his tormentors by remind
ing them that ii the action OF the majority of the
House which ordered the constitution OF the COM
mittee. While this true, the charge remained
that the majority had abdicated its function OF self
control by authorizing the Speaker to appoint the
committee.
AS understood the proposed change by the next
House will involve the appointment OF this commit
tee by the House itself taking from the Speaker the
power to do All the other features of the change
proposed minor in their Importance The Speaker
is to recognize the member who rises first 1t is
expected that this will increase the freedom OF the
House. But in body composed OF 357 members
and not given to quiet and calmness this amounts to
but little. 1t the system long in use before
Reeds time, but Catching the Speakers eye" was
often very difficult Upon this the late Ned Mar
shall OF California reflected when he was a member
in 1851 Linn Boyd was Speaker. Marshars ca
pacity for social enjoyment had abridged his de
voton to official duty that his term neared its end
without a record made on the floor After irving
every day OF the closing fortnight of the short ses
sion to get recognition he turned one day to the
House and said, Il have been in Washington two
years and have caught everything but the Speakers
eye In that he is likely to have many fellow
victims
The significance of the proposed change is that it
adheres to the purpose Reed had in efectng the
original revolution by leaving the control of egisla-
ton in the keeping OF the majority, by giving it the
election OF a committee with the same powers as his
Committee Rules 1t is not understood that the
change will reopen the door to ilibustering by re-
storing the alternating dilatory motions
PHILADELPHIA is selfish In fttino ont CARGO ~