The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-17
THE CONGRESSIONALCAM
N0RE OF THE MEN WH0 CONTROL
.LEGIsLATToN IN TIE HOUSE

H0RE OF TEE MEN wHo coNTRoz
,LEGLsLA77oN IN TIE HOUSE
wig sse Legislative Machinery - an,,
nGstioaless-Tho Lever Not Yet Ii Place
-Isssrnasion for These HAVING Claims
Against the Governnent--Oid Soldiers sna
Mes Interested In Patents Cosesrnea-Ths
Presidential Succession At Stake.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 1e-with nearly 5000
bills referred to committees the legislative
machinery Of the House is still motionless.
Most Of the committees have organized and
appointed sub-com mitte6s. The bills before
the committees have been assigned to tho
different sub.com mittees. and they are already
at work. But nothing can be done In the
House until the Speaker moves the lever that
sets the machinery In motion. That lever is
tho Committee on Rules. Of which the Speaker
himself Is Chairman. The illness Of Mr.. Crisp
has delayed this committee in It's work.
1t is thought. however. that rulos will
surely be reported to the House by next
week. Then such committees as the
Ways and Means. tho Appropriations the
: one on printing. and q few others will have the
usual privilege. They will be able to call up
their bills ut any time. unless the House is act
ing under special order The other commit
toes will have to take their chances In what is
known as the morning hour, or depend upon
the Committee on Rules for special orders. The
work Of Chairman OF a com mittee will hardly
begin before the House adopts rules. After
that ha has an inkling OF his chances to secure
consideration for the measures reported from
his committee.
A good Chairman will always keep track Of
tho morning hour. II he misses the call OF his
committee In this hour. he may not have an
other opportunity in the session Of getting the
House to consider any bill reported from his
committee The opportunity Ia easily lost A
constituent may send the Chairman his card.
He goes out In the corridor to speak with him
for ono moment There may be half dozen
committees on the roll above him. None OF
them have any business to call up. His COM
mittee is reached while he is doing the agree
able to his visitor No one responds In
twenty seconds another committee is called
and the opportunity is lost. To be successful
Chairman should never leave the House dur
ing the morning hour. IL Is by their work
that the chairmen OF the committees are
gauged. The product Of q weeks hard work
may there BIO lost by the slightest inattention
to what is taking place in the House.
description OF the chairmen Of the commit
tees first on the roll In the morning hour has
already been made. The chairmen yet to be
described may wait for long time before the
morning hour reaches them. But their work
is mono the less i'm portant.
Mr. ROBERTSON OF LoursIANA
The twenty third committee on the House
list is the Committee on Levees and Improve
ment Of the Mississippi River. Its Chairman
IL Samuel Mathews Robertson OF Baton Rouge.
Mr.. Robertson is Of medium height. Of muscu-
lar frame. and keen in intellect. He has Roman
features. sharp gray eye. and dark hair and
mopstache. He was 40 years old on New
Years Day. He keeps himself in perfect phys
igal health by dint Of bear hunting In the
IAtchafalaya swamps. He is said to be good
for twelve bears each season. The bears are
hunted on horseback. Robertson is an expert
with rife. Matt Lagan of New Orleans makes
the somewhat extraordinary statement that
Robertson's bears are dragged into camp By
coons.''
This is Robertsons third term in Congress-
He succeeded his father. the Hon. E. W. Rob-
ertson. The new Chairman was born and
educated in Louisiana He has been a men,
Der OF the faculty OF the Louisiana State Uni
versity and Agricultural and Mechanical COL
lege. He filled the chair OF natural history
and was commandant OF cadets when elected
to Congress- He was a member Of tho Com
mittee on Levees in the Fiftieth Congress. but
Tom Reed saw fit to drop him from that COM
mittee In the Billion Congress-. Living on the
banks OF the Mississippi. no man moro thor
oughly understa nds its system OF levees He
IL q diligent worker In committee. a man Of
fine presence. and makes excellent speeches.
He was an ardent advocate OF Speaker Crisp in
the late canvass.
MILLS CHAIRMAN
The Committee on Education Is twenty
fourth on the list Its Chairman is Judge
Walter I. Hayes OF Iowa. New Workers and
residents OF Richmond. Va. frequently mis-
take him for John Smelling. There Is certainly
o striking resemblance between them. The
Jutlels Michigander by birth. He is serv-
mg Mo thifd term as Democrat from the
Hawkeye State. He graduated from the Law
Department OF Michigan University. has
been United States Commissioner for the
Eastern district of that State and for Iowa.
was district Judge in Iowa for twelve years.
and was twice the candidate OF the
Democratic party for Justice OF the su-
preme Court Of that State. The Judge
has good voice and is terse
speaker He is combative In disposition.
tenacious in purpose and has tho courage OF
his convictions. In the last session he cham
pioned the proposal to allow each representa-
tiveof the incoming Congress clerk He had
Cat the prSpos9n s Wo"d p sna t
came before the House in the shape OF IN
6mentmen ont TO the Legislative, Executive. and
judicial Appropriation bill. The bill was hn-
Ing. considered IN Committee of the Whole.
Under tho rules no yea and may vote can be Sc
cured In committee OF the whole. The propo-
eition was carried In committee by an over
WhelminG majority. Judge Holman got a yea
aa 0as pHa WAS to S Wd
Mon who. voted for it In lcommittee
1t. Tho measure will probably be brought for
ward again In this Congress. Half a dozen
attempts have been made to pass 1t within
four years In each case IT was carried in
Committee OF tho Whole and defeated on n
yea and nay vote In the House.
Jndge Hayes is one Of the friends OF Mr.
Mills who received II craftsmanship from
Speaker Crisp, He WIS the soul Of the Iowa
man. landed straight In the Texan camp This
u his 4 rst aRpearance In tho Committee on
education. The Judge was 50 years old last
December. but looks ten years younger
g. JOHN TARsNEY OF KANSAS CITY.
The new Chairman OF the Committee on
LARor u John Z. Tarsney OF Kansas City. Like
Judge Hayes. Tarsnry was born in Michigan
and ms the courage OF his convictions. He
was ~ years old last Noyember He as a
bright blue eye; firm cut mouth and nose.
and an admirable physique. He somewhat
resembles Don Cameron. Mr.. Tarsney ac-
4egted the Chairmanship Of the Com mittee on
Labor at the earnest request Of Speaker Crisp
HIS appointment was asked by the president