Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-07-05
The Power of the speaker and of the
RiIibuster.

In this stage of legislation. when the bill
has passed out of the committee room and
is on the calendar, the Speaker exercises
his power more freely than he does in APP
pointing the standing committees. He very
often gives a member the opportunity to get
his measure before the House and he Of
tener absolutely kills bills by refusing to per
init their movers TO catch his eye. When
the debate is on, he recognizes the speakers
agreed upon. This power is enormous, and
because many speakers have endeavored to
exercise it fairly and for the advancement
of the public business, it is none the less
dangerous. The order of business and the
character of the legislation of the House of
Representatives rest largely in the discre-
ton of one man, who is not held RESPONSE
BILE because he is not charged with the task
which he performs The first thoroughly
bad Speaker we have will show the country
what an evil thing this is. The Speaker
here, as in the composition of the commit
tees, is limited in the exercise of his power
by what may be called the public opinion
of the House. He cannot safely 90 against
that, but the House, like each of its indi-
vidual members, is interested in compar-
lively few subjects, and there is very
large and important field in which the Speak
er can direct legislation. Here he is sub
ject only to filbuster who is now nearly
omnipOtent. The Speaker may determine
1.-The character of a measure by his compost
Elton of the committee which considers it.
He may see that the member in charge of it
secures the floor and presents it to the
House, but here his functions cease. He
cannot force it to vote. From this time
on the hlibuster is master of the situation.
| He is stronger than the Speaker, or the
committee, or the House. He can compel
| the withdrawal of the measure, or he can
! force the Speaker to trade with him. I'm
der the most recent theory of the rights of
the minority, which may consist Of only
one member, all business is subject to his
attack, and the man who can sway legisla-
tion and bend it as he desires must succumb
at the last and most critical step If the fill
buster rises up against him, while, opposed
to this potentate, not even the public opin-
ion of the House can prevail.
Here are the two mightiest powers in the
House of Representatives, the two which
control the law making body The Speaker
is under certain limitations, which operate
the more effectively the higher the charac-
ter and ambition of the man who occupies
the chair. The filibusJer need not feel the
force of any restraining influence, for it
may well he that he has neither reputation
to lose nor future to imperil. Until these
two powers are bound, the ma aiority of the
American House of Representatives cannot
control its business So far as the Speaker
is concerned, it is true that, until the pres
ent system is changed, he must continue to
exercise the right to select bills for consid-
Grafton. There must he some one 10 per
form this task, and it would be the height
of unwisdom if the House should undertake
to go ON without II regular aud well defined
order of business but that order should
be directed by itself, and the legislation of
Congress should not be left To the discre-
| ton Of any man who may easily become AN
/ irresponsible autocrat. m l.. Nelson il the
,Iuig Atlantic.