Bisbee daily review., 1903-12-01
MRS. SUFFER ON
 PARLIAMENTARY LAW
PAPER READ AT THE FEDERA
 TON OF WoMEN'S CLUB.
Being a Practical Argument and Able Essay Upon the Usages of Debate-Some Suggestions and Filthy "Don'ts"

I find my self in a peculiar predica. 1 ment. I am called upon to discuss something whick has no existence Outside of the English parliament there is no such thing as parliamentary law, although I in company with the rest of the world frequently refer to it. Parliamentary usage is the correct expression for those rules of order which are properly observed in all ser ious deliberative assemblys. This fact was successfully demonstrated by that great man, ,Thos. B. Reed, dur ing the term that he was speaker of the house of representatives He said 10 the world. parliamentary usage is not set of arbitrary rules, but plain consistent system. founded on common sense and sanctioned by the experience of mankind"
 In it's primary sense, parliamentary law was a set Of rules adopted for the use of the English parliment in the conduct of it's business. When we be- came the United States of America in stead of the English colonies we adopt ed the rules of procedure of the English parliment for use in our own national congress. thereby exhibiting theNsame helplessness with which We copied England's constitution and adopted her customs.
 We were a long time learning that these rules were not infallible bu! we finally learned the lesson and now in stead of one unwritten English Jaw we have dozera Of strictly American all thorities on parliamentary usage. It would be interesting if I had To :ake up the difference in these auth britics, but time IS too limited. The impor- tant thing for every deliberative body to do is to adopt some standard work for a guide and thus make some ones individual ideas absolute law for that individual body. It does not matter whether these rules of order are all good CT not. It is of q great deal nnre importance that we have rules at all. Otherwise we should be absolutely 1t the mercy of the caprice of the prs;i- dent and individual members.
 In our own club be have at3pie1 Mrs. Foxes rules of order. This is a splendid work, clear, logical ard brief and adapted better than any oth- CT to the work of women'S clubs. It IS the business of every club member to study this book as carefully as pos sible. The day when it was thought fetching to say with a little languid | flourish, "Oh, don't know anything about such things. Really I am not at all clever" is past and now no wo- man is respected for lack of ordi- nary knowledge. I have known wo- men who boasted of ignorance in way that made me ashamed of a few little things that I knew. No woman has a right to remain in club unless she is willing to study the things club woman should know. with enough ear nestness to assure her hoDoring Ter club in whatever emergency arises. There is no longer any place for the 3inless woman.
 hardly know how to discuss this subject The history of parliamentary law is too tedious to be generally in teresting. The more complex of it's principals are too complicated to be learned by hearing them once repeat ed. I know this by my own exper- fence.
 A parliamentary department con- ducted by a bright club woman and meeting alternate weeks with the reg ular club meeting and I stayed there two delightful years. We were drilled on every principal until we could not forget it. Perhaps the time will come when you will see fit to have such a department in this Wo- mans Club. Personally I think it would be good idea. We might adopt it soon. It would give us such a comfortable feeling at the next Fed eration which We are all to have the pleasure of attending. Why even six weeks attention to this subject would place us far in advance of any club in the territory in our knowledge and liability along these lines.
 We are already better parlimentari- ans than the rest of the Federated clubs, although they