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Show , ., THE HOUSE FIASCO. The recent fiasco In the untlonnl house ot representatives Incident to the .uioptlon of rules governing that body, Is one that will cortalnly bring but little bnlm to tho breast ot tho unterrlfled, especially If ho has beon basking In the thought that "Democracy" "Democ-racy" Is as tho namo Implies the "peoplo's nulo." The Democratic party par-ty for the first time In fifteen years Is In control in tho house or representatives. repre-sentatives. This fnct nlone Implies u now sot of rules, or at least a revision revis-ion of tho rules. Novor In tho his-tory his-tory of tho Amorlcan congress has any houBO hcrotoforo attempted to adopt a code of rules without giving to ovory membor of tho house an opportunity op-portunity to otter an amendment to thoso rates.' This cnBo Is ' not tho adoption of a code of rules by a party that has been In power for a outdoor of years as the Kopubltcau party has been, but It Is the adoption ot a new code of rules by a party new to power. It Is substantially, In nil respects, re-spects, a rovlfilon of tho- Houso rules, If any Insurgent, oj mugwump, was led away with the delusive hope that he would bo glvon the slightest con slderallon by the democratic majority .In tho present house of representatives his hopes were all shattered wheu ilopresei) tuth ti Henry ot Texas, pre sented tho resolution covorlng tho rules to govrn tho Slxty-Beeond Congress. Con-gress. This resolution provided: First At tho conclusion of tho first rending pt tho lesolutlon It shall bo in order to offer ono subatltuto for tho resolution of tho gentleman from yexaa. . Second, There shall bo four hours general debate, tho tlmo to bo equal ly divided between tho friends nnd oppononta of the resolution, tho tlmo to be controlled on ono sldo by Mr. Henry of Texas nnd on tho other by Mr. Mnnn of Illinois..; Third At tho conclusion of tho general gen-eral debate as herein provided, a voto 'shall be taken without 'delay or Intervening' Inter-vening' motion flrst.Jcm'tho question ques-tion of ndoptlng tho resolution of tho gentleman from Toxas or Hie substitute substi-tute resolution, ns tho caao may bo. "Hcrotoforo on sovoral. occasions thqro havo been Important revisions of .tho rules. The rules wero revised In ISSp upon a roport from-tho com-mlttco com-mlttco on rules, which nt that tlmo consisted of several very distinguished distinguish-ed men. Mr. Randall of Pennsylvania, Mr. Stophcns of Oeorgla, Mr. Dlack-burn Dlack-burn of Kontucky, Mr. Qarflold of Ohio,, nnd Mr. Fryo ot Mnlno. Thoso rules wero carefully consldorcd by thnt committee of distinguished men, who represented both the majority and minority parties, nnd, when presented pre-sented to tho Houso wero accompanied accompan-ied by n written report. There Is no written report accompanying this code of rules. Week after week was spent In deliberating upon 'thoso rules In 1880, nnd opportunity was afforded af-forded to ovory member of that houso to present such amendment ns he saw fit to present, to nny and every ono of thoso rulca. "Tho rules wero revised again In 181)0, nnd the commttteo on rules nt that time was mado up of men whoso names aro distinguished In our hos-tory. hos-tory. It consisted of Thomas II. Reod William McKlnloy, Joseph 0. Cannon, Can-non, John O. Carlisle, and Rogor Q. Mills. Thoso rules wero carefully deliberated de-liberated upon, and aftor long' 'consideration 'con-sideration by tho committee wero presented pre-sented to the Houso, accompanied by a written report. Then they woro do-bated do-bated day In and day out, and every member of tho Houso of Representatives Representa-tives at that time was afforded an opportunity op-portunity to offer amendments to tho rules. It was recognized thou thnt every ev-ery man on olthor sldo of the Houso, whntovor might bo his political faith, had an Interest In tlie efltabllshmont of wise rulos for tho govornmont ot tho House of Representatives. There was another revision of tha rules In tho Fifty-second. Congress, when the Democratic party calne 1no power. The chnlrman of the committee on Miles at that time was the speaker, speak-er, Mr. Crisp, Mr.-Outhwalto, of Ohio, was on the commlttoej Mr. Catching of Mississippi, was on the committee, nil distinguished men In our pnilla? montary history; nnd on that occasion occas-ion the rules were considered nmUde-liberated nmUde-liberated upon over n (jreat length of time by the committee nnd preaened to tho House, accompanied hy'a writ-report. writ-report. A resolution was adopted that the rult-3 should be read seriatim ana due opportunity ghen to every member mem-ber of the Houso to consider tho rules nnd to offer amendments. "So that on every occasion heretofore hereto-fore when thoro has boon a revision of the rules nu opportunity has been nfforded to mombors of the House to offer amendments, to debate, nnd con sider and coinu to a conclusion as-to what Hhould bo proper rulos for tho go eminent of the House." Hut .not ho with the present Democratic Demo-cratic Houso. They who havo been crying tho "wo are holler thnn thou" chorus for ho long presented tho rules r ' t ns a single proposition en bloc, bo loug gagged not only the Hepubllcnns whom thoy havo been waiting ho long to gag, but put the clamps on tho "Insurgents" also whom they so gallantly gal-lantly and graciously courted a short time ago. Nqto tho resolution above. After leading the resolution one substitute Ih In order, and th,on (our hours .of gouoral debato, which menus nothing, because In general debate nothing more than theorizing can bo done, and then nt the close of that useless dabte a voto Is to be taken, bouud and gagged and not een permitted to offer an amendment. Why should there hnvo been general debate If, amendments could not havo beon of-fered? of-fered? Why theorize about what might bo if wo know thnt It cannot bo? Why not go In llko men nnd Introduce In-troduce tho resolution, wait for a ocond. and juhI as soon as possible movo tho preouB question and mil-toad mil-toad tho thing tbiough. Such n courBo would bo far more honorable than such childish maneuvers as thoso ro ccntly Indulged In, evldetftiy ''Just to tako the curse, off." r |