The Portland daily press., 1891-12-17

in That Tradition Was Entitled to
Respect-Committee To Be Named
Next Wednesday.
Especial to the Press.l
WASHINGTON, December 16. - Speaker
Crisp's announcement of the committee on
rules today-the Speaker. chairman,
Messrs. McMillin, Catchings. Reed and
Burrows-was surprise in lreat many
quarters. For several day, Mr.. Springer
has been engaged on the rules, making GER
tain changes in the rules Of the Fiftieth
C0ngr ass to adapt them to the rules of this
House. On this account, it was believed
Mr.. Springer had been determined on for
chairman of the ways and means commit
tee, and also for member Of the commit
tee on appropriations, 1t being one of the
traditions Of the House that the chairmen
of these two committees, with the Speaker
make up the committee on rules. The ap-
pointment of Mr.. McMlllin and Mr.. Cat
chings to the rules committee does not
mean that these gentlemen are to be chair
men of the ways and means and appropri-
ations committees respectively. 1t means
that Speaker Crisp has decided to override
at least one of the tradition the House.
This is departure the wisdom of which
is open to question. Mr.. Reed pointed out
today to the PRESS correspondent that the
chairman of the committees on ways and
means aud appropriations naturally are
the advisers of the Speaker as those COM
mittees must shape nearly all the inn
portant legislation of Congress. AS
those committees are priviledged and can
report to the House at any time, by
placing their chairmen on the rules COM
mittee there is less danger Of their seeking
to obtain special advantages for themselves,
and which might be the case when chair
men or members of other committees are
on the rules committees, which is RESPONSE
BILE for the order of business.
"While great outcry was made by the
Democrats 10 the last Congress against
government by committee as they termed
i" said Mr.. Reed, "a committee on rules
Is absolutely necessary for the
proper transaction of business. That
was the sole purpose Of
the rules of the lat House-to do business
in busines>like aud systematic way, to be
dUtC w dCCOmbllDu cOuCkbiuSs 4 w uOb
believe the rules of the last House have
ever been an issue before the country or
that they have not been approved where
they have been understood. Blu it makes
little difference to the Democrats what
rules they have. Their policy is policy of
inaction. If the country wants anything
done we have to do 1t. 1t has always been
SO ana always will be so suppose"
When the committee meets, Mr.. Reed
will offer from the Republican side the
rules of the last House. OF course the
Democratic members of the committee will
vote them down, but Mr.. Reed says those
rules were proper for the government of
the last House and are equally proper for
the present one. and if the Democrats
shlrk the responsibility of adopting them
they will have to answer for it.
In all probability, The committees will be
nnouDced next Wednesday. The Speaker
said today t. his lieutenants that he had
decided to announce the committee ON ap-
propriations on Saturday, when the COM
mittee on rules is expected to report au-
thoriZng the committees, and to name the
remainder of the committees on he 23d,
the day Of adjournment for the holiday re-
cess. Unless unforeseen obstacles arise,
the Speaker will carry out this programme.