These are an inherent, inseparable, indissoluble part of that man.  But his education, his registration, his residence, his payment of a portion of the burdens of the State, and the other matters, are in his power and his control.  I find it to be in accord with the wisdom of the people of the country that it is the true policy to let the States govern those matters for themselves.  The Constitution of the United States touches those things that are out of the man’s control.”

In the filibustering contest over the rules in the Forty-seventh Congress, first session, Mr. Robinson made a very earnest speech, which commended itself to all except the extreme filibusters.  Stripping the contest of its technical parliamentary points, Mr. Robinson said:  “Our rules are for orderly procedure, not for disorderly obstruction; not for resistance.”  Continuing he said that no tyranny is one-half as odious as that which comes from the minority.  “Our fathers,” he said, “put our Government upon the right of the majority to rule.”  To the charge of one of the minority that the purpose of the majority to proceed to the consideration of the election cases was tyranny, Mr. Robinson said: 

“Tyranny!  Because the majority of this House proposes to go forward to action in a way that, upon their oaths, they declare to be right and proper, and in their judgment is to be vindicated, you say that is tyranny!  But it is not tyranny for you in a minority forsooth to say, unless it goes just the way we want it, it shall not go at all.  That is to say, in the language that you have thrown out here and have fulminated in the caucus, you will sit here till the expiration of this Congress rather than you shall not have your way.  I commend to my friend some other dictionary in which he will find a proper definition of the word tyranny.”

To show to what logical result the theory of the right of the minority to prevent legislation or the consideration of public business would lead, the following illustration was used:  “But this very day suppose by some great calamity the chair of the Speaker was left vacant and we were confronted with the necessity of electing a Speaker.  Elect him under the rules, you say.  Yes, but under the Constitution, greater than the rule.  But, say one-fifth of this House, you shall not proceed to elect a Speaker unless you will take a man from our number; and we will move to adjourn, to adjourn over, and to take a recess.  You shall never organize this House so long as we can call the yeas and nays.  Do you believe that we are in that pitiable plight?”

On the subject of civil service Mr. Robinson improved one minute to express his views in this manner: 

“I am heartily in favor of this bill.  It is in the right direction.  We have read enough in the platforms of both political parties; here is a chance to do something.

“In some of the States of this country have just been inaugurated officers of the Democratic party; and I have noticed they have made haste, no matter what their declarations have been in recent platforms, to turn out well tried public servants and put in some of their own retainers and supporters.  I want this Congress here and now to express itself in this bill, so that it may be in accord with the sentiment of this country.