Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-02-27

pE@ HE Republicans in the house
with their brutal majority
are undoubtedly travelling the
II pace that kills. For instance
they brought in an ironclad
rule railroading the bill to repeal the
Spanish war taxes, involving $70,000,-
900 or $S0,000000 year. allowing only
about eight hours for debate and alb
solutely refusing even one minute for
amendment. Such an outrage has rare
ly been perpetrated in any legislative
body of the world. The minority, un-
der the lead of Richardson of Tennes-
see and Underwood of Alabama, the
Democratic members of the rules com
mittee, made a splendid but unavail-
ing fight against this latest act of Re
publican despotism, which has tend
ency to still further degrade the house
of representatives. Unavailing fight,
did | say? 1t may be of some avail in
rousing the country to realizing sense
of the high handed methods practiced
by the Republicans. 1t is surely high
time for them to be aroused.
When Hon. John Dalzell of Pitts
burg, gyasticutus in chief of the Repub-
lican house machine, had jammed his
rule through, Mr.. Richardson astound-
ed the Republicans by asking unanf-
nous consent that the tax reduction
bill be voted on at once, saying point
edly that Democrats would rather have
two minutes for amendment than eight
hours for debate, which under the rule
would not change one syllable of the
bill All, then and there were hurry
ing to and fro and rapid scurrying
about among the Republicans and lay
ing of heads together. The white locks
of Hon. Serene e. Payne covered the
bald pate of "Uncle Joe' Cannon as he
whispered in the ear of the venerable
Sucker. General Grosyenor's snowy
whiskers nearly smothered Colonel
Hepburn of Iowa as the two veterans
conferred. They couldn't understand
what Richardson's great coup meant
except that they realized in a dazed
way that the Tennesseean had made a
mastery flank movement and that if
political capital is to come of the tax
reduction bill it would inure to the
benefit of the Democrats.
When Richardson made his amazing
request, Mr.. Speaker Henderson seem
ed nonplused, but there wasn't any
thing for him to do except to submit it
to the house, which was done amid 81
1nnan hot lf11l do "
that some of his remarks in private to
his ieutenants were far-very far
from being complimentary.
A Memorable Feb. II.
on roll call.
That, in brief, is the history of Rich
ardson's great coup. The 18th of Feb
ruary will be memorable day in the
history of the Fifty-seventh congress.
Richardson's performance accentu-
ated the tyrannical conduct of the Re-
publican majority as perhaps nothing
else would have done.
Democrats wanted to amend the bill
so as to cut down the tariff on trust
made articles, but the Republicans
would not have it so. That's precisely
what they were afraid of.
They even whipped Babcock of Wis
consin into line to vote for the rule,
though his bill cutting the tariff rates
on articles made by the steel trust was
to have have been one of the amend
mentS if amendment had been permit
ted His poor and limping excuse was
that the tax reduction bill ought to be
passed and that he would call his bill
up at a more convenient season, well
knowing that the Republican bosses
will never permit him to get it up as
separate measure. He thereby threw
away his one chance of having his bill
considered. If he had helped defeat
the rule, he could have offered his bill
as an amendment, but his heart failed
him. Poor Bah! He is not a bowling
success as a reformer.
Mr.. Hay of Virginia did not over
state the case when he said: '"The
adoption of this rule means the humil-
iation of every member on this floor.
By this rule we take away from this
house it's rightful functions and it's con-
stitutional power We are bound and
gagged and forced into accepting the
action of a bare majority of one of a
committee upon question of vital i'm
port to the country
Mr.. Ball of Texas said: every one
hyho is informed knows that the object
of this rule is to prevent the hand of
taxation from being laid upon the sug-
ar trust, the steel trust and other
bloated corporations. The action of Mr..
Reed in counting a quorum was to dis
patch public business. The object of
this rule is to prevent fair and proper
consideration by the house of repre-
sentatives of pending legislation"
Samples of Prosperity.
1t is constantly and vociferously as
serted by Republican spellbinders that
prosperity is universal, but once in
awhile a news item gets into the pa
pers which has tendency to contra
dict these asseyerations. For example,
the Boston papers recently reported
that there was held a large and angry
meeting of the stockholders of the
Naumkeag Steam Cotton company of
Salem, Mass, at which it was discov-
cred that the company lost $4,000 the
last half of last year, and the stock
holders wanted to know why it was
thus and why they had not received
their dividends as usual. Mirabile die
tu! The explanation was that the loss
and skipping of dividends were occa-
stoned by falling off in the oriental
trade! Why, bless my stars, we have
had it thumped into our noggins for
three years that this oriental trade is
to make us all rich beyond the dreams
of avaricel And, 10, already it is fall
ing off!
We are frequently told that every
man in the United States who wants
work can get it and that if any man is
idle it is entirely his own fault. This
cannot be true, for the Boston Adver-
tiser has this editorial in recent is
sue:
''The number of applicants for cler-
ical positions in this city is immensely
greater than the number of positions
to be filed at present. One reason for
this is that during the last few months
there have been a good many business
changes in the way of consultations
Another reason is that boys and girls
from the public schools are applying
for cr1cb xuorIY and will 10 If for more