The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-03-09

chamber. guided by their leaders, tried
on Monday last to cram down our
throats without any power of amendment
or OF betterment
Judge De Almonds Speech.
Judge De Almond said:
Mr.. Speaker, this proceeding this morn
ing furnishes us the lone example In all
the history of your rule in this house. az
i recollect Ii, of actual progress made in
the proceedings of the committee on
rules. The committee. after a great deal
OF travail and n great deal of hesitation
and reluctance, has reported rule which
will tend to facilitate legislation upon
this most important subject. A good
many have been waiting quite little
while for the presentation of rule OF
an entirely different character. How 1t
came about that that rule was not pre-
sented, and how 1t happened that this
rule, modification of that in important
particulars, Is substituted, we do not
know. Contrary ITO that very sacred
thing known as precedent In this
house. the committee upon rules has
really concluded TO submit TO the house
n rule that is tolerable. II Is true that
there is to be no amendment and no op.
portunity for st. Strange II is. too. that
with abundance of time for things that
are not important there Is not enough
time to permit the members of thia
house, every one of them sovereign
representative In his own right. TO offer
and consider amendments and to vote
and TO act upon his own Views on prop
ositions submitted upon question OF
very great and far reaching importance.
But for the little that we have. wherG
but very little Is given and that grudG.
ingly let us be thankful. There Is at
last opportunity given to the house and
TO the congress and to the country to
get some legislation that will accomplish
somshrg that is desirable. The word
knowingly" put in knowingly, no doubt
to render this measure, IL II should pass,
absolutely worthless and useless, ia
Knowingly with great reluctance and
much deliberation, withdrawn. The word
''consecutive." put In with full under
standing and for the direct purpose OF
making this legislation useless, has been
withdrawn, withdrawn most reluctantly,
withdrawn after much comparison Of
notes and much consideration of possible
consequences but IL is withdrawn, and
the house now has the opportunity. UNI
der the form of rule most drastic In ita
terms, expression and purpose, to send
to conference something upon which
there may be rested hope for good leg
islation.
Thanks 10 the timidlty Of the commit.
tee on rules, thanks TO the powers and
influences, whatever they may be, that
have coercod that body OF coercion into
doing something contrary To its general
course, something which may result In
good to the public! May those persons
who cocrced the committee on rules
NAV those influences that have prevailed
over II In this one instance for the right
be exerted again and again! May this be
the dawning OF the day when the COM
mittee on rules will cease 10 be auto
cratic, when IL will share with the house
of representatives itself, with the 3SG
members. leaving out of the count the
powerful three who constitute the ma
iority of the committee on rules, the
power OF the house! May the 1888 hence
forth have chance to do something,
Let lis welcome this as n harbngcr Of
better times. Let us hail this as a sign
that at least once after many years
upon one measure at least, for reasons
satisfactory 10 it, this mighty committee
on rules has harkened TO the voice of the
public and has given the house of repre-
sentatives a little opportunity 10 do
something Justly important.
do not wish. however to grow too
hopeful nor too optimistic. There is too
much In the past. there are too many
examples 10 the contrary, too much of
evil In the spirit which governs the COM
mittee on rules, to warrant the hope that
this exarap,e will become contagious. but
let us ihoRe 1t will have some repetitions
II any reader of this deems that too
long quotation for these letters. !
beg him to remember that the Demo
Gratis are Outnumbered by the Repub-
licans In the house almost two TO one
and that such victory achieved hy
US Is worth all the space of many let
tary