Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-10-09
Speaker Reed Explains.

Speaker Reed Explains.
Why can not these policies of the
president be considered at this SEES
sion? Why can not l as a member OF
lhis house be permitted to redeem
my pledges TO my people? What is
to hinder us? l pause for reply.
Why? Because, well-let me read
what Speaker Reed has said. He
knew the rules OF this house. He
anew the possibilities of them, and
want to commend what he said TO the
membership Of this house This was
written after he was defeated or
rather after his party was defeated.
democratic congress was coming
IN, and he was warning the country
OF what they would be likely to do
and what they could do under the
rules. Speaker Reed said
There are many interests which
are concerned to perpetuate the rule
OF the few. The Southern men"
May we not translate a little here
and say Wall street over in New York
and It's ramiications over the coun-
Try?
The Southern men are fearful thai
this nation will some day awaken, as
1t has once before awakened, from
the false idea that commerce is all,
and that peace and QuietnesS ought
TO be purchased at any price, to the
nobIef idea that human liberty is be-
yond all price, and that the govern
ment OF all by all is the very 1ounda-
Llon Oh our system. There are some
men VINO desire, when this happens,
that the few shall be so intrenched
IN forms and usages that they may
Keep the many entirely out OF control
The same may be said OF all vested IN
GerestS and vested wrongs. THESE
are all enlisted on the side OF re-
pjression."
NOW l want to quote the paragraph
which follows, because here he Is spe-
clhc, whereas IN the otner he was
general:
But the great immediate power
which has Tor so many years pre-
vented the manifestation OF the
power OF the maJorlJy-the power
winch has kept the control IN the
hands Oh the lewis the comDina-
uon OF concert OF old members VINO,
knowing the rules ana beng skilled
IN ali tne arts OF killing blns without
pelng caught, and OIL depriving the
community OF what it wants WINE ex-
hlDlIlng zeal the other way, are ell
dpled 10 govern the house and per
petuate their own rule"
but lest II be said that he is merely
taking OF a concert OF combination OF
old members III the minority, let me
read what follows and | commend il
10 the new members SO that they may
know just what Mr.. Reed saw would
happen to them when they adopted
me rules. He says:
1t will be an interesting spectacle
III the new house 10 watch The pro
cess by which the new members Will
De persuaded TO surrender their
ilghLS, to go gently under the yoke
ana 10 witness their wonder ana per
pleXlUy when they lind that somehow
or other they can not do what they
want to do, even after they have con-
Vlnced the majority that il will be
the night thing 10 do. They will then
md tnaC the gentlemen VINO have so
seduIously hedged them in to pro
tect them against the wicked repub-
Means (democratsO have reserved for
themselves veto power greater than
is lntrusted by the wisdom of the con
stltution to the wisdom Of The presi-
dent They VIII also find that there
Is no greater faIlacy than the idea
that majority and minorICy are predi-
Gated OF political parties only"
And IN that connection l will read
another sentence from another arti-
Gle OF his, in which he shows how
these rules have been framed along
the years. He says:
Ever since the slavery question
came to trouble the peace of the
country the rules OF the house have
Deen framed with the view of render
ing legislation difficult. The South"
May we not again translate and
make 1t applicable to the present
time?
Inc South was anxious that there
should be ample means at it's dis
posal to stop any measure detrimental
to its cherished institution"
The question comes into the mind
OF any thinking man, if the south, if
the democratic leaders were keen
enough in their day to protect through
rules their vested interests, are they
OF Wall street and they who repre-.
sent them any less keen to maintain
and extend the same kind of rules.
lest a special message of the presi-
dent should disturb vested interests
and vested wrongs? If democrats can
do somthing, republicans can always
do it much better, whether it be bad
or good.
Members Powerless.