Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-06-08
ooNFEssEs m Was WRONG.


II was wrong and that such rules
are necessary for the transaction or
business. In its last issue the Post
says:
Not much more than two short
years ago a casual visitor to Capitol
| HrI might have heard the voices OF
the Democrats rising to high Heaven
| in striduolus assertion that what the
Republicans were preparing to do'
lin the way of rules, was such an
Iindignity the nation could not sur
yiye it. Champ Clark and Oscar
Underwood and Bob Henry and john
~. Fitzgerald all warned the RepuD-
licans to desist lest their greed for
power and their disregard OF the
right and privilege of the minority
should lead to revolution. The out
rage, as 1t happened at the moment
was on the other foot.
More buncombe has been talked
in the house OF representatives over
the rules for the proceedings OF that
body than on any other subject, save
perhaps the tariff. Every time the
Republicans adopted a set OF rules
the Democrats moaned with terror
over their ultimate and disastrous
fate and the fate of the country.
When, as happened recently the
democrats are in position to adopt
rules the Republicans are the har-
bingers of disaster The whole ais
cussion is clap-trap, getting nowhere;
for when a majority decides to do
a thing, an the speechmaking and
prophecy Of coming woe and pre-
diction Of uprising on the part OF
the outraged people will not change
a vote. Still, they go at 1t Just as
vigorously every year a congress as
sembles for the first time; and one
side-the majority gloats while
the minority greets, which is Harry
Lauder for weeps.
The fact Is, the rules adopted by
the Democrats for the government
of the present house differ but little
fsom the rules adopted by the Re
publicans for the government OF the
last house. There are some few
changes, but in most all Of the es-
sentials the rules are identical; and
the reason Is that the rules, as a
whole, are the result Of the exper-
fence, the wisdom, the practice, OF
more than q hundred years-and
have to be as they are II there is
to be any business whatever trans
acted by the house. Each success
sive congress makes a few changes,
usually dictated by experience or
party expediency; but, as a whole
the rules remain the same from one
congress to another. This must be
SO; for the shaping up and shaping
down Of the house of representatives
from the first congress, when there
we're not many more than sixty rep
resentatives, to the Sixty-second,
when there are three hundred and
ninetyIone-has shown what must
be done and how the house must
be governed for the orderly trans
action of business, Imagine the sit
uation, for example, on a big meas
ure in the house like tariff bill,
with unlimited debate and no chance
to bring in a rule limiting that de-
bate to reasonable time. The house
would be a mob and there would
be nothing but talk.
1t is very strange that an in
telligent people will allow themselves
20 be influenced by such rot as the
muckrakers have published in recent
years. Any man of sense ought to
have been able to see that 1t Is abb
solutely necessary for the govern
ment of a large dellberative body
like the lower house of congress to
have such rules as those complained
Of. The changes that have been
made are really Of very slight i'm
portance.