The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-03-19
THE AMERICAN PREMIER.


The AMERICAN PREMIER.
A Comparison Between tho American s1A
English Speakers.
The parallel between the English and
the American premiers is, of course, hyt
no means exact. In the first place, otrR3p
speaker is. powerful only in the housesl
writes Albert Bushnell Hart in the Al
lantic on ''The Speaker as Premier,1
while the premier, through his majur4
ity in the house Of commons, may, and
frequently does, overawe the house OIL
lords. The senate is not bound to reo4
ognize the leadership of the speaker a.
the house of representatives; but evena
here there is an evident convenience I'M
having purty chief, capable Of layinG
down policy OF successive measures
and of urging those measures through
Whenever hereafter the two houses nroF
controlled by the same party, it is prob
able that some junto, of which tina,
speaker is the leading member, will Az
range programme of legislation for
both houses. In the second place, tho
speaker is chosen for definite term OF
two years, unless by vote compelle&
sooner to resign. But parties in thu
United States are much more stabl9
than in England. Tho party whick.
elects the speaker invariably holds Tn
majority to the end of that congress-.
Nothing, therefore, but the disrcgari8
of the wish of his own followers Is Hlzap-
ly TO destroy the speakers power; snR
when his followers no longer stand 6E
him, his position Is much like that oA
the premier against whom the house AZ
commons has passed o vote Of want 0k
confidence.
The speaker must resign, and his POI
itical influence will be destroyed. Th6
executive part of the premier's power In
not within reach of the speaker; but f
the tradition Of party action through
the speaker continues, the general pok-,
icy OF the party will be formed so al IN
include executive action. A presidents
who wishes TO stand well with his parity
is likely to aid in carrying out tho pro-
gramme arranged by the iunto of whieh
the speaker is the leading member.
This most recent addition to tim
speakers power ha s not been conferreiE
by recent vote Of the house in adopA~,
ing rules, and in fact is not expressed Inn
the constitution, the acts of congress, on
the rules of the house. 1t is naturaE
growth, and part of the tendency
throughout the national, state and mn-
nicipal systems to put responsibility
upon individuals rather than upon
boards. 1t is a wholesome reactions
from the divided irresponsibility and
wasteful system of conducting the busf-
ness of legislation. 1t secures at least.
the consideration of the measures held
by the leaders of the majority to ba,
most important. Those measures mag
or may not be for the public good; botE
under the new system the public has q
better opportunity to place response
bility upon those members Of congress-
who, under any system, must control
it's operations, namely, the great leadexas.
Of the majority. The system is, there
fore, likely to be continued in prinoiplass
II not in the same form, by each partE
when in the majority. The powers nors
exercised by the speaker will probably
be exercised by each succeeding speak
er, and will somewhat increase. Sinee=
the legislative department in every M
public constantly tends to gain groun4.
at the expense Of the executive, thu
speaker is likely to become, and par-
haps is already, more powerful, both
for good and for evil, than the presidenA
of the United States. He is premier in
legislation, it is the business of his party
that he be also premier in character, IN
ability, In leadership or statesmanshin