The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-01-05
BATTLE OVER RULES.

DIAL LIE Wv EN- NOLEO.
Yesterdays contest over rules in the house of
representatives clearly one for free discussion
and full publicity on the part of the Democratic
minority and for gag methods and secrecy on the
part OF the Republican majority Nothing is palmer
than the purpose of this partisan majority by the
sheer force OF numbers to suppress debate and to
throttle measures designed to promote the public
welfare when they do not meet the approval of the
boss whose malign domination is still pestlently
potential.
Neither the boss his puppet legislators
appear to have learned any of the obvious lessons
of the last election They refuse to heed the omn-
warning the verdict at the polls contained and
because they have the power to do so through a
narrow margin OF votes, they are following their
familiar policy of muzzling the minority and
strangling worthy measures in the secrecy of COM
mttee rooms.
1t is desperate resort and one that, as Mr..
Hogan significantly remarked, will invite more
crushing chastisement next November than was ad-
mnistered to the boss-ridden Republican party less
than three months ago.
1t is matter of common knowledge and of
equally common condemnation that during the
legislative session year ago many bills OF dis
tinctly worthy character were referred TO commit
tees by which they were suppressed at the bidding
of the boss and from which those who introduced
and those who supported them unable to
their return to the house.
To prevent this manifest injustice during the
present session amendment was offered by the
minority to of the rules reported by the Repub-
lican ajority, providing that motion resolu-
tion to take any measure from committee to which
il has been committed shall be entertained only
Tuesdays and that debate upon it shall be limited
to half an hour
No member of the house not blinded by parti-
San prejudice and not owing servIe allegiance to
the boss could interpose valid argument against
rule SO plainly reasonable and necessary. Never
Al ~f ~
boss. the representative from East Greenwich. the
whole Republican majority lined up in opposition
to it,
Even the carpet-bag speaker was moved to take
the floor for further exploitation of his all consum-
ing and overmasterng partisan bigotry. He was
chairman during the last session of the Legislature
OF the committee on special legislation, a committee
responsible for the secret throtting of more meas
ures than any other in the whole history of the
assembly, and he sought to justify that soulless
slaughter by contending that "a committee is the
natural, legal and normal instrument for selecting
those measures which the legislative body should
consider and for holding back the rest"
Was ever more preposterous and absurd con-
tention advanced by any man making pretence to
sanity of judgment and fairness of treatment to
political opponentsl Here we have the senseless
claim that four men out of a committee of seven OF
three out of committee of five are better qualified
TO pass upon the value and worthiness OF measures
than the whole membership of the house OF repre-
sentatves
There has been evidence in plenty since the
carpet-bagger from the Bay State gained seat in
the legislature by the votes OF citizens OF rotten
borough town, that his bump of self-esteem is
abnormally developed but even so it did not pre-
pare the public for the shock that followed yes
terday his confession to the possession OF legsla
tive wisdom that far transcends the aggregat,
knowledge, learning and experience Of his seventy
one colleagues.
According to the boss imported speaker tht
committee 'is the sieve through which measures
pass because il is endowed with power TO say wha
measures are proper TO be brought before tn,
house.
OF course the house itself has function II
the matter The chosen representatives OF the peo
pie have no authority over the measures they intro
duce however benehcent their purpose or however
necessary to the public welfare they may be, once
they have been committed 10 a committee OF offcia
strangers Has more asinine assertion ever beer
made by any who seek TO bolster up totterine
legislative dictatorship;
As a sieve the committee on special legislation
u the preceding house OF representatives perform