Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-22


In our system a representative in Congress
is not only law maker, but a sort of agent
Dr. attorney at the seat of government for all
the people of his district who may have need
of his services. 1t is held by many that dis
tricts should be made smaller instead Of
larger, that representatives may be kept in
closer touch with their constituents The
Congressman being the only man in the three
great departments OF govern1nent-executive,
legislative and judicial who is elected by
direct vote Of the people without the inter
vention of state legislature or electoral col
iege, it is argued that voters should know
congressman personally, and that consritu-
encies should be kept within such limits as
admit OF actual familiarity between voters
and their chosen representative. On the
other hand, any further enlargement Of the
house of representatives will make necessary
radle Ell change i'll the methods of that body.
Now the great hall, the finest legislative
hall in the world, is used as office by nearly
$50 men, as well as place of discussion and
parliamentary procedure. Each congressman
has desk and a chair, at which he sits more
or less of the time during the sessions writing
letters Or course, the desks and the neceS-
sary spaces between them take up nearly all
the room, for the floor, which under the
present arrangement is none too large for $50
men, measures 81 by 115 feet. Without the
desks the same number of men could be easily
seated in one-tnird the space, or even less.
The house of representatives is a distress
inGly noisy place during sessions. Members
VIII talk laugh, rattle books and papers, and
In divers ways maintain a most distressing
din Only on occasions of surprising i'm
portance or interest is anything like good
order maintained. Only one speaker in a
dozen can command the attention of the
house There are no rules and no commands
of authority by which man can be made to
listen to speech which he does not want to
hear When the floor is taken by speaker
in whom the majority of members have no
interest, they turn to their letter writing, to
their conversation, their laughter, their rat
ting of books and papers, their Shutting Of
feet. Hundreds Of times in day the presid-
ing officer finds it necessary to rap for order
with his gavel, or appeal TO the members
with words for silence Legislation is inter
fered with by the lack of order, and congress
is required to sit twice as long to do its work
rs it would be compelled TO sit if its hall ar
engagements were such as to secure peace and
quiet.
Among the many plans proposed for I'M
house does its work is one which may be
found feasible. 1t is to leave the hall as at
present for all sessions of the house with the
speaker in the chair, giving the members the
advantages OF desk room on the floor, but to
arrange rising and falling partitions, extend
ing, when joined, from floor to ceiling, and
Inclosing in a temporary minor hall all that
Part of the present hall III front of the third
concentric semicircular aisle for the use of
the committee of the whole
This would make hall about one-quarter
the size of the present chamber, including
the seats of ene-third of the members. The
containing two-thirds, or as many of them as
cared t., sit in committee of the whole,
could find seats in the open space sur
rounding the speakers chair and clerk s
desk On going into committee of the
whole. in which the bulk of the work OF
the house is performed. the partitions
could be set and the temporary seats ar
ranged in a few minutes The committee
would then find itself deliberating in peace,
uIdisturbed by the din of a large hall, and
hv the talk and laughter which it appears
impossible 10 suppress in the rear of the seats
and cloak rooms beyond. The hall would
then resemble the house of commons, in which
members sit on cushioned benches without
desks. Members who preferred letter writ
ing or conversation to participation III the
deliberations of the committee could remain
Mt their desks OF those whose desks 1t is in
tended TO inclose within the temporary hall,
there would not be sufficient number to dis
tllrb the committee at its laborS. When the
committee was ready to rise the chairman
could order the machinery set IN motion by
which the partitions are dropped through
the floor or rolled against the ceiling. and the
committee room would thus be quickly
merged into the hall of the house.
The objections to this plan, of course, are
That the galleries would be largely cut OH
from the committee hall. But IS the public
ralleries are usually filled with seedy, sleepy
lafers. this would be no great injury to the
rights of the people. Besides, there Is room
is, the rear of the speakers chair for second
.,allery, above the reporters gallery.
Il is easy to foresee that fifty or a hundred
years hence it will be necessary 70 dispense
Together with the use OF desks In the hall
= the house. Either this Kill have TO e