Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-13
Some Things You Want to Know
The American oOngress-Reod Rules Controversy.

The house of Representatives on February
II, 1880, adopted a new code OF rules known
as the Reed rules" and with but few
msterial changes It now governs the house.
The code took its name from Thomas B.
Reed Of Maine, spec ker OF the house. The
other republican members Of the commit
tee which reported the famous rules were
William Mckinley and Joseph g. Cannon.
The adoption Of this code was the trium-
plant completion Of a parliamentary revo-
tuition begun on December 2, 1883. when tho
fifty-first congress met for It's first ses-
sion. The opposition had exhausted every
possible effort in the vain attempt to defeat
the new system. but in the two succeeding
congresses the democrats, having a major
lily, gave the stamp of their approval to
the very code which they had so flercely
denounced as tyrannlcal and reasonable.
With the return Of the republicans to power
in 1895 the Reed rules were continued as a
matter Of course, and while they have been
the target of much bitter oratory, they
have not been seriously threatened until
the beginning OF the present, the sixty
first congress.
When the special session sat last March
Speaker Cannon was reelected without
trouble, but the house refused to adopt
the rules of the former house and some
slight amendments we're Incorporated, none
Of which In any sense impairs the effec-
tiveness of the house machine. But party
lines were broken and the regular ma
jority was saved from utter defeat by a
majority OF only five. and that with the
votes of twenty-three democratic repre-
sentatives. Thus for the first time since
the Reed rules were adopted does a speaker
| apd HE rga uizaNiap dapep.l eor tha. o~apN
of power upon a section of the opposing
party. AS the rules were devised and de-
signed to promote party discipline and to
secure party rule the situation is a most
remarkable one.
When the fifty-first congress met the
republicans for the first time in fourteen
years found themselves in control of the
presidency, the senate and the house of
representatives. But their margin in the
house was so small-only eight votes-that
the leaders realized that heroic methods
must be employed to assure consistent and
certain party success. Consequently Thomas
b.. Reed took the gavel with the determi-
nation to make the majority effective. To
accomplish this purpose two things were
to he done, the one unjustifiable and arbi-
trary, the other quite as arbitrary, but
wholly justifiable. The first was to eject
as many democratic members as possible
and seat republicans in their places. This
resulted in an increase of the republican
majority from the dangerous number OF
eight to the safe and comfortable margin
of twenty-four without the expense or In.
convenience of elections. Eight Of the nine
democrats elected were candidates for re.
election on that issue. Seven of them were
reelected and in another of the nine dis.
t-tAN "a 49,
wholesale election OF democrats had madt
the republican majority certain and tina.
was the thing most to be desired.
The second thing to be done was to pu.
an end to the right of filibuster, SO tina
a majority Of the house might be free t.
register its will, and that a minority nigh
no longer have the power absolutely t,
block business and obstruct legislation
The verdict of the people, Of succeeding
congresses and Of the supreme court of tn,
United States has Upheld Mr.. Reeds cours,
in counting for a quorum those member,
actually present, despite their refusal (,
answer to their names on a roll call. H,
destroyed the fiction of constructive alb
Rsence and ended the tyranny of the mi
nority."
The committee on rules purposely de
layed its report until a sufficient numbe
Of democrats had been elected to assur
Its adoption. On January %, the great par
llampetRry battle. the greatest in the his
tory Of the house, was fought. One Of tn
contested election cases came in from tn,
committee for consideration by the hous
and the majority was determined to GUS
\ the democrat and seat the republican. TIL
5 yeas and nays were demanded on tn
E question of consideration and the roll cal
SHOWED 161 ayes, 2 noes and 1875 not voting
3 The democrats, the very members who ha
demanded the yeas and nays, sat Ssilent
confident OF victory in the possession Of
century's accumulation of precedents. Tn
point of no quorum was made, the roll ca.
disclosing that fact.
Whereupon the speaker directed tn
clerk to record the names of those preser
who declined to vote. This was the revc
luton. Democrat, one of those who ha
refused to vote and was constructively al
sent, appealed from the ruling of tn
chair. The house was thrown into cor
fusion, men actually stormed the speaker
stand, but Mr.. Reed went on calmly count
ing a quorum. TIL appeal from his d,