Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-06
SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.

sion.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.
WASHINGTON, July 8. - Thomas B.
Reed has practically completed the task
which he set out to accomplish when elected
Speaker OF the House OF Representatives of
the Fifty-frst Congress. The dictator, as he
is generally called by the men of the
House who fear, dislike, and admire him,
is now resting on his oars and congratulate
ing himself for having forced his person
ality upon the work Of Congress more
strongly than any o: his predecessors ever
did.
The programme of legislation which has
been enacted in the House up to date, was
mapped out by Mr.. Reed in his little law
office in Portland, six months before he
came to Washington, to enter the contest
for the Speakership. 1t is true that subjects
not yet discussed or disposed OF in the
House, formed a part OF the dictator's
programme but they were Of secondary
Importance and intended only to be pressed
after the more serious questions are out of
the way.
AN UNBRoKEN RECORD.
Mr.. Reed has the proud satisfaction of
feeling that not once has he been seriously
thwarted since he assumed the gavel. He
has driven Democrats and Republicans
alike to support or yield to his wishes, and
has had wonderful success in obtaining and
holding the assistance of all the strong men
in the House.
The record of legislation which the
Speaker and his colleagues have made since
December is exceedingly annoying to the
members of the Senate, who are never
pleased to have the House take the initia-
tive in framing party and national legisla-
tion. So bitter has been this feeling at
times that the Senate has even assumed to
originate appropriation bills, right that is
accorded to the House by the Constitution
itself
SoNsof the leading Senators have en-
deavored during the past few months to put
q check upon the activity of their colleagues
in the House in order that the Senate calen-
dar might not be loaded down with i'm
portant measures which it might or might
not be the policy of the party to pass.
SOME UNPLEAsANTNEss CAUSED.
Mr.. Reed, however, booked no interfer-
ence. He continued to hew to the lire, let
ting the chips fall where they might, and as
a result he is not on the pleasantest terms
with some OF the men in the Senate who
have for many years been able to dictate
what legislation should be enacted and what
bills should be suppressed. The Senate
now finds itself compelled either to remain
here during all the hot months of summer
in order to act upon the big bills sent from
the House, or by adjourning without con-
sidering them, allow the impression to go
out to the country that they did not dare to
indorse the legislation enacted by the real
representatives of the people.
During all the time that Speaker Reed
and his colleagues have stood immovable in
forcing to a vote measures which they
claimed the people demand, there has Deen
a strong undercurrent of opposition flowing
over from the Senate side of the building.
but it was powerless against the force of the
splendid management of the Republicans
and the iron will OF the Speaker. With tie
passage of the Federal election bill the lead
ers in the House, atIeast the men who are
controlling matters there, claim that they
have carried out to the letter
THE PLEDGES MADE
to the people in the party platforms and
upon the hustings, and it remains for the
Senate to say whether bodies look at public
matters through different sets of glasses.
Year by year the Senate becomes more con-
servstiye and less inclined to listen tc the
appeals of the masses of the people, and
disposed TO insist upon their so-called rights
and privileges as an hereditary body On
almost every great public question in which
the people are at present interested and
which they are forcing upon the attention
OF public men, the members OF the Senate
have different views from those entertained
bv the Republicans in the House.
Corporation influence grows steadily
stronger in the Senate and each year the menu
bers OF that body give less heed to the signs
of the times as indicated through the peti-
tions which reach them from the masses OF
the people. The party shall push forward
on the issues thus made, or allow the great
work accomplished in the House to go for
naught.
The triumvirate that rules all matters
in the House-Messrs. Reed, Mckinley and
OanuOn, lne majority O1 the OOMmlttee on
Rules-are feeling very well satisfied with
themselves for what they have accomplished
and claim that no House of Representa-
tives since Congress came into existence
has done its work with such fidelity, ac-
curacy, rapidity and integrity.
THEIR WORK NEARLY DONE.
They say that the great work emanded
of the Fifty-frst Congress by the people is
almost hnlShed, so tar as the House o. Rep
resentatlyes is concerned, and that ii the
Senate Will act upon the bills already sent
them, the party will have issues upon which
they can 60 before the country feeling con-
fdent that they can win. Nothing is more
true, however, than that for many years the
Senate and the House of Representatives
have been drifting further and further apart.
For these reasons the triumyirate of rulers
in the House are beginning to lear that the |
Senate will run along into the dor davs and |
then adjourn, without having niared unon |
the statute books several bills which thev |
forced to passage under the ins,,iration of |
public sentiment
Since Mr.. Reed was placed in the Sneak |
er's char the amount of important legixl.-
tion that he has enacted is very great I'm 1
der bis leadership and dictatorship the |
House adopted new code of rules which |
gives the majority the power to do ANYTHING |