Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-02

Inc tutN-tirst congress marks an epoch
In the legislative history Of the United
States. The adoption Of the Reed rules"
and their enforcement by Speaker Reed
in that congress laid the house OF repre-
sentatives permanently under the control
Of the system Of precedents conceived and
established by Carlisle. amplified and made
effective by Reed, and. later, perfected
and solidified by Crisp.
During the session Of that same ongress
en- unsuccessful attempt was made to
change the rules Of the senate to provide
for the limitation Of debate. II this effort
had been successful. the senate would now
proceed under rules practically the same
as those obtaining in the house. and i'm
portant measures having the support OF
the majority party would be rushed
through both houses OF congress with only
perfunctory debate and without opportun.
iy for genuine elaboration.
The story Of how these things came to
be, and Of why the senate remains as the
only free tribune in the government, Is the
story Of the federal elections bill. which
was introduced in the house in 1890. by
Representative Henry Cabot Lodge OF
Massachusetts, now a senator, which
passed that body, and which was cham
piored in the senate by the late George
Frisbie Hoar, also Of the Old Bay state.
and which met its death at the hands Of
a combination Of democrats and western
republicans. formed under cover Of the
most remarkable mibuster in the history
Of congress.
When Andrew Johnson was succeeded In
the White House by General Grant the
radical wing Of the republican party found
Itself in complete control Of the situation.
II proceeded with its plans for reconstruc-
ton on the theory that the states lately
in rebellion" were but dead carcasses
within the union" and that they might be
revived only by some talisman which
would insure che return Of republican
members OF congress and members Of the
electoral colleges, The Unfolding plans Of
me radicals caused great Indignation
"lthln the party and led to the organiza-
ton OF the liberal republican movement Of
IS'Z' the nomination Of Greeley and the
second overwhelming victory for General
Grant and the radicals. But the Greeley
Ilasco old not end the anti-radicaI move
mehI and in 1874 the republicans lost con-
Irol OF the house of representatives. Two
years later the election Of the president
hung upon a hair. The ultra-radical lead
ers OF the republican party were deposed.
aHu IN the south the states were permitted
again TO control their own affairs under
'he direction Of the white people.
"hen the Fffty-first congress met for its
Ilrst session in December, 1889. the repub-
mean party found itself for the first time
III fourteen years in complete legislative
control OF the government The repub-
mean leaders believed, with good reasons.
mat II the negroes in the south had been
permitted to vote without let or hind
rance many of the Congressional seats oc-
cupled by democrats would be filled nv
republicans. Believing that they were
cheated out Of their fair share in the
government by reason OF the dlsobedience
In the south of the mandates of the fif-
teenth amendment, the republicans
promptly decided to take charge OF the
election machinery in the southern states.
II was the purpose to make the calamity
OF a democratic victory impossible and
Illegal.
The republican majority in the house was
only eight, a dangerously small number.
Whereupon nine democrats were eiectad
and the places of eight of them were filled
by republicans. The contestant for the
other seat died and the place was left
vacant. The republican majority being
thus bolstered up, Speaker Reed pro-
ceeded to demolish the minoritv's MANS for
flibustering warfare by the famous code
OF rules which bears his name. That
mousse at Its first session passed the Lodge
federal elections bill. It provided that
upon the application Of a small number NJ
voters in any congressional district. the
federal judges should appoint the super-
visors Of elections. A bill passed during
the bitterest part Of the reconstruction
light with a similar purpose had been
called the force bill" The ornaments ~
the Lodge bill revived the name and an.
piled 1t to the new measure.
Inc control Of negro maJorities in the
south In the period Immediately following
the reconstruction era had been exercised
by the whites without much regard for
law. Intimidation and bribery kent the
negroes from the polls, or turned their
votes to the democratic candidates. The
south was unwilling to submit to negro
rule but 1t was equally unwilling to con-
tinue the lawless methods OF controIirz
elections.
So at the very time the Fifty-first con-
gress was sitting. several southern states
were holding constitutional conventions to
form new constitutions which would enable
them to limit negro suffrage by legal
means. While Mr.. Lodge was advocating
his bill in the house. the Mississippi con-
stitutional convention was DISTINGUISHING
the negro by adopting the Massachusetts,