The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-19
An Eminent Member Of Parliament
Says They Change Opinions,
Not Votes.
Not Surprising Then That Con-
gressional Harangues Are Not
More Effective.
Measures Framed in Committee and APP
proved in Caucus-The Speeches Arc
For Constituents Only.

the British parliament, himself an acknowl-
edged master of the art of debate, says the
New York Times, once said that he had
known speeches to change opinions, but
never to change votes. If that is the case in
the Legislature Of q nation which. has been
described as subject to government by de-
bate. and where the tenure of Office Of the
ministers. who are the actual goyeFnment,
depends upon q vote of tho house Of COM
mons, it is not surprising that the congress
Of the United States should find debate even
more futile, since the tsrmsof the members,
40 we'll as of the executive, are fixed by law
and cannot be shortened except by death,
resignation, expulsion or impeachment.
Accordingly it has come about more and
measures are framed in committee and
their fate determined in caucus, while in
the senate, though there ID moro speaking,
th6te h tendency toward the decline Of
real discussion. This il 90 clearly seen and
so strongly felt by the senators themselves
it, though the remedy il in their own hands
if they choose to make use of it. Only a
few weeks ago the intolerable Blair of New
Hampshire read q long lecture to the senate
and got it printed in the Record, mainly on
the wickedness of newspapers which re-
fused to print his remarks, but incidentally
on the ''discourtesy' Of his fellow-senators
who neglected TO listen to them. At the
present moment the senators who are big
with speeches on silver, and especially in IA
vor of free coinage, growl audibly at the fact
that their fellow-senators invariably leave
the chamber before the first speech Is
finished.
We do not know that there is any way of
changing this state Of affairs, and if it be
Il an evil it il ono that is inseparable from
/ the present methods of party government.
Representatives and senator's 90 to congress
as party men. They voluntarily accept the
obligation to vote on political measures
impossible for them to. go on any other
terms. So long as this is so, and they all
p know in advance how they are going to vote
: themselves and how their colleagues are 60
ing to vote, it is clear that there can be nc
such thing as discussion among them,
There will be a certain amount of speech
be addressed to the members of the re-
spective houses. It is addressed to the
country, perhaps to the immediate con-
stituents of the speaker, or, if he be q
man of prominence, to the voters of his
section or to those of the whole country, tc
whom it will be submitted, in rare cases, in
Congressional Record, sent out as team
paign documents by the respective par
ties. When it happens, as it sometimes
does, that member of one of the houses
has ideas to express that do not agree will
those of the party managers, and the mem.
an event of Importance through its very
rarity. This was the case with the speech
of Mr.. Butterworth, of Ohio, on the tariff
which, by its independence, it's vigor, it
simplicity, and, above all, it's sincerity
shone above the dead level Of partisan
anoochoa and ottrnNkoA otka
than all the others made in congress at thii
session. If there were a score of men il
congress who dared to vote as their owl
Judgment should dictate, speeches of THU
sort would be the rule and not the excep
Butterworth voted for the measure he e
completely proved to be unworthy of sup
port.
There is no one cause for all this peculiar
subserviency to party, but there is one that
has had much to do with developing it, and
that is the spoils system. This has thrown
hands of men who were more concerned
with the Offices than with any principles OF
policy adopted by the parties. These men
if they do not always dictate nominations
can generally defeat those that do not suit
them. An able man in the house or in the
has to reckon with these managers, and
must be stronger with his constituents
than most men can be to be able to ignore
or defy them. This ia not SO much the case
in the south, where, since the war, federal
Offices have not, save partially for one pres
idential term, been in the hands Of the ma
jority party, and where representatives and
senators have been able and have had to
deal more directly with the people. But
almost everywhere else the nominations are
largely controlled by the .'machines,' and
these are largely built up by patronage,
Nothing would do so much to build IN .
really representative system of government
or to restore to the members Of the house
and senate their powers and duties in lecis-
lation, as the abolition of patronage. Party
spirit would still be very strong, but char.
acter and capacity could make themselves
felt in the several constituencies without
being subjected to the humiliatinc and
be!ittling control of Office peddling OF Office
holding 'bosses."