The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-12-29
LONG FIGHT.
After Ten Years the House Yields ID
the Senate on the Question Of
Private Clerks.
In Every Congress Since the Forty.
eighth There Has Been q Fight
Over the Natter.
Reason For the Surrender Was That
the House Found the Senate idea
Worth Imitation.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25.-The final &C
ceptance by the house of representative
OF he senate amendment to the urgen,
deficiency bill, providing for the pay
ment Of salaries Of the senate per diem
clerks for the recess of the Fifty-first
congress probably marks the close of 8
contest between the two branches Of
congress, which dates back to a time
far beyond the employment of these
clerks for this work and has been an in.
teresting page of the history of the two
houses.
It Began When in 1888,
upon a motion of Senator Butler, the
senate voted to employ private secretar-
:es for senators who were not chairmen
Of committees. At that time neither
senators nor members who were not
heads of committees were permitted to
have clerks for their assistance in con-
Quoting the routine of their official
duties, unless they paid them out of
their W pocket, and although the need
of such assistance had been frequently
commented upon in both houses, neither
body found itself willing to vote itself
aid until the Forty-eighth congress,
when the .
Senat Took the Initiative.
The house did not follow suit for 10
years, no did it accept the innovation
in a kindly spirit and at once began a
war upon the CLERKS, which has contin-
ued until the present time. The subject
has often been discussed in the proceed
lngs in the house, and that body has
uniformly, except in one session of the
Flfty-hrst congress, refused to include in
the legislative bill any appropriations
for the clerks OF senators. The senate
never failed to amend the bill so as to
provide for the pay of the clerks, but
the amendment was very seldom &C
copied by the house without vigorous
comment and more or less parleying
with the senate. The clerks were only |
paid for the time that congress was in
session, and it was after the long session
ct the Fifty-tirst congress in 1890, When |
there was only two months time left
between the close of one session and the
opening of the next that the senators,
finding a great deal of the accumulated
business on their hands, resolved to re-
tain the services of the clerks during the
recess.
The House Objected,
and the action of the senate in the mat
ter had the effect of giving a stimulus to
the conflict, which the house had shown
some disposition to drop by providing
for session pay in that congress, without
waiting for the action of the senate.
Every year since the senate has put the
in some appropriation bills sent
over from the house, and it has been
just as regularly rejected by the house,
until the present session, when the sem
ate, refusing absolutely to back down,
the house, after tying up an appropria-
ion bill for two months, finally receded.
The senate has always taken the ground
hat the house has
No Right to Interfere
With tho senate's Infringement ~ ;ts
and to this view the house an
'arently yielded assent, after a struggle
which has continued for a decade, at the !
Expense OF much time of both senators .
nd members, and of much cost for the !
of speeches and Of delay in
agislation.
Probably the reason for the surrender
I the house is found in the fact that
body has found the example of the Q
'nate in employing clerks for individual
worthy Of imitation and now
mploys such clerks itself. This chance
the house was not made until the C
ose Of the last congress, but since IL 3
rs taken place it has been noticeable Ii
lat the house has shown itself more Il
berally inclined to tolerate the sena. 81
RS clerks. 1t is now admitted by a
aJority of the members that the bust
'ss OF senators and members are such =,
at it is almost impossible to conduct it y;
ithout assistance, and the war seems IL
have reached a final termination. =;
Notice. az