Show MINORITY DICTATION during the sessions of the late congress particularly the last session the business of the country suffered materially from the delays occasioned by factious obstruction chiefly in the house of representatives deadlocks occurred which prevented imor important tant legislation and a few determined m men n under one vigilant leader familiar with the rules could stop all progress and waste the time of the house indefinitely the will of the thaJo majority rity was frequently swept away before the dictation of a small mi minority norley all this was done and instill is still rendered possible under the rules made by a committee of five members the house has thus placed itself in the power of that committee advantage can be taken of the red tape regulations thus imposed and a handful of filibusters can hamper and bind up the whole body af pf three hundred and twenty five members rs so that it can neither move hand nor foot while the obstruct ors keep the in hand hon thos reed beed in the cottery magazine for march sets forth this evil in a striking manner he ought to know something about it as he be was one of the committee on rules and has helped to forge the fetters which have bound him and his hie party jarw as well as ae a large number of democrats and prevented action in the house he says to such a pass has this obstructive policy come that all sensible men advise their constituents to do business with the united states with the same care that should be used with any individual whose antecedents show shew him to be adverse to paying except under compulsion one rule puts into the hands bands of every member the power of stopping proceedings edinga altogether the rules therefore have abrogated the constitution A species of strait jacket which though voluntarily imposed is as great a proof of unsound mind as if some soine asylum had ordered it the system of avoiding action on important measures by means of these dogging clogging rules has done much to demoralize the house t if the majority of the house of representatives each man selected from at least thirty thousand voters vetere cannot be trusted who can why is this system maintained how can it have lasted so BO long at first sight it would seem as if the picture leture drawn of the rules of the kouse house could not be true it is certainly very improbable to an outsider P this evil the extent of which is not half appreciated by the people of the nation the blocking of the public business by a set of rules which can be wielded by two or three men has arouse aroused and daud interested the country for the rights of all are immediately concerned to gratify the natural curiosity of those who desire to know how men each the flower of a flock of voters could make regulations to deprive themselves of power and could year after year submit to such deprivation te Is one object of this article another object is to help to induce the people of the united states to insist upon the restoration of republican government in the hoose of representatives senta tives 11 the washington post has commenced in good time to draw the attention of congressmen and the country to this evil and urge action against it in the fifty first congress it says rules which trifle with the rights and liberties of the people ore are a disgrace to american civilization and should be discarded altogether I 1 mere amendments are insufficient 11 we do not go to the length advocated by the post pod rules of some kind are essential to good order and the expeditious conduct of business and some of the present rules could be maintained no doubt with profit but we endorse the efforts of that paper to obtain consideration of this serious matter in good time A new committee on rules will most likely be formed as the political complexion of the house will be changed and such a modification and change of rules can be effected if the house is determined on such a policy that the filibustering which has so often disgraced the lower branch of congress cannot be repeated the post calls on the press of the country to help create an overwhelming wh elming public sentiment against the wrong and concludes a vigorous editorial on the subject with these words which we reproduce with pleasure the post invites the boards of trade throughout the united states which are organized representatives of the business interests of the country to give this transcendently important subject early attention and urge by resolutions and otherwise a return to legislative methods more compatible with the principles of free fre government |