The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-14
HOUSE COMMITTEES.

Much Consultation and Revision Required
Before They Are Ready for Announcements.
Special the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-Every Congress
man. upon his first appearance in Wash
ington, is filled with good resolutions.
Every Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives, upon first taking the chair. resolves
in his own mind, that he Is going right at
business with q jump. He intends to an
nounce his committees in ten days and get
to work before the usual Christmas recess.
There were never more good resolutions
brought to Congress than have come in full
feather.to this one. Every one of the new
members-and O majority are new-brOught
determinations to invent many new meas
ures All expect to get q lot of legislation
through. Even Speaker Crisp, who has
seen the organization of many congresses,
told his friends. when he first took the
forum of the House, that he hoped to have
the committees ready for PRONUNCIATION
within ten days. This is the old, old roso-
luton, which almost invariably fails. At
this writing there are few men In Washing
ton who expect the committees of the House
to be announced before the middle of the
first week in January. In few instances
the committees have been announced be-
fore that time. but not of late years. when
complications growing out OF geographical,
and party. and business demands have be-
come so great
1t isa great piece of work to frame the
place, there are forty-nine standing and
about twenty special committees. Each
man must be placed first in relation to his
natural or acquired abilities Ii much work
is to be accomplished: In the second place.
the Speaker must take into consideration
his personal obligations. which too often
run counter to the requirements of sections
of the country. 1t would take full week
of bard work to pick ont men for the two
committees on appropriations and ways
and means, If none other were to be framed.
These are the big ones. Three-fourths of
the members think they are fitted for and
demand to be put upon these committees.
They bring congressional and other in
fluence to bear for themselves. Hundreds
and hundreds of letters and kilograms
from private citizens and interests and
thousands of visitors are received bv the
Speaker in the formation of these two COM
mittees. 1t Is not expected that members
of appropriations and ways and means
committees will be upon other committees,
for this would be honor enough, yet there
| ore many who demand places upon other
| manships of minor committees. mostly be-
cause they want to give places to relatives
as clerks of committees
When finally, at the end Of weeks of
work, the Speaker concludes that he has
| made up his slate of committees for the
| last and maybe three hundredth time, he
draws a long breath and shows the list to
| one or two of his confidential friends for
their advice OK it's entirety. They find
| flaws Men are in this or that place who
| must 60 elsewhere. This makes delay In
| the announcement. During the delay men,
| bers learn by one means or another, like
| Methodist ministers at the annual confer
ence. that they are to be placed here OF
| there, and they protest. The list is fre.
| quently torn all to pieces just as it is to be
| sent to the Reading Clerk for announce
ment. 1t frequently happens that many
| changes, some of Importance, take place
| within five minutes of the time of their
reading on the floor.
| Then when the committees are announced
| comes the breaking of fond hopes. The
| members who expected to get this or that
| bill through by virtue OF a pull" on CON-
| mittees finds the latter made up entirely
| different from what was expected, Even
| not have them reported back to the House
and placed upon the calendar. Then if,
| after all. they get it upon the calendar they
may not get day for it; and should they
| do that they are disappointed In complet-
| ing consideration, and hundreds of bills
| fail of final action after passing one house.
| getting favorable action from committee
| and partial discussion in the other house.
Thousands of measures Will fail ignomin-
| iously in this Congress. Not much is ex.
| pected to be done. especially If it takes the
| least tint of politics.