Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-28

| IN MN M preston Of gratitude
! W>NS from the other rep
| VI resentatives Of Mr..
Crisp's party for his
generosity in letting the majority of that
| party carry out ITS wishes. The greater
number OF those who read about the pro-
ceedings Of the caucus may have wondered
that 1t was necessary in settling the affairs
| OF the House in the family councils of the
dominant party to obtain the consent Of
one man to the program agreed upon. 1t
Is fact that II Mr.. Crisp had been willing
| to put his own judgment above the judy
nent Of his party associates they would
have been powerless to carry on the busi-
| ness Of the House except as he wished to
| have IL conducted. The title Of Gear" was
not popular when Mr.. Reed sat in the
! Speakers chair. But 1t Is q title applicable
to the Speaker Of the House since the es-
Establishment Of Congress. Mr.. Crisp and
Mr.. Carlisle We're ''czars," and II they were
not known by this title II was because
| they chose to carry out their ideas of gov
eminent in the House in a less aggressive
] way than Mr.. Reed saw Mt to adopt.
When Mr.. Reed was Speaker Of the House
Of Representatives 1 had some conversa-
ton with him about writing an article for
a syndicate Of newspapers. and suggested
/
Speaker OF the House OF Representatives.
Mr. Reed shook his head. He was perfectly
willing to write for the newspapers; but
not on that topic. He believed that it was
unwise to direct attention to the enormous
power for good or evil which lies In the
Speakers hands.
| Crisp Not So Cautious.
Mr.. Crisp in a conversation which I had
|
ton to the Speakership was less guarded.
| He admitted that the Speaker virtually CON-
trolled the business of the House and ar
gued that it was necessary that there should
| be some such brake on legislation or the
] majority might take the bit in its teeth
| some day and run away with the treasury
| or do something equally undesirable. The
House. said Mr.. Crisp. could consider only
small proportion OF the measures brought
before 1t. 1t was necessary that some one
OF the Speaker. Mr.. Crisp said. was a great
| trust for which the House held him to q
strict accountability.
The Speaker has control OF legislation in
| dozen different ways. In the first place
he has so many ways of showing favor to
members that they hesitate to anger or
displease him. In the second place, when
| he appoints the members of the House
| to committee places, he can constitute a
committee so that IL shall be opposed to a
| measure which is pretty. sure to come be-
| fore II or SO that IL may favor that meas
ure. In the third place, as a member Of
! the committee on rules composed OF five
members, he holds the balance OF power
! In the fourth place, a member who desires
| to call up measure must obtain the Speak
| er's permission or he cannot even claim the
| floor.
The New Members Experience.
The new member Of the House, unfamiliar
| with its customs. is very likely in the ex-
| uberance of Ignorance to rise and address
| the chair for the purpose of obtaining con-
sideration for some bill In which he is in
terested. He Is panied as well as surprised
to find that the Speaker invariably recog-
nizes someone else. Perhaps he goes d.
rect to the Speaker. Why wouldn't You
recognize me this afternoon" he SAYS 10
the Speaker, with some feeling.
Recognize your says the Speaker IN
great surprise. Il did not agree to recog-
nize YOU"
Must have an agreement with your'
says the new member. a little angered at
this infringement OF his independence as a
LEGISLATOR.
Certainly" says the Speaker. III YOU
| will come to me tomorrow morning I win
tell you whether I will recognize you or
not"
The new member goes away indignant.
But he realizes his position after a time.
There IL no way to compel the Speaker 10
recognise him. as he learns by a study of
the rules. A member without recognition
Is HItn Wneel TO the legislative cart. So
the new member pockets his Indignation
and goes to the Speaker the next day before
the House assemblies.
1 have come to make that arrangement"
he says.
Arrangement
Yes. To be recognized, you know. I
would like to be recognized this morning
when the House meets
"Oh, yes" says the Speaker: well what
do you want to call up?"
The new member looks something pro-
fame. Perhaps he says II. He is thinking,
at least, in the familiar vernacular Of the
average Congressman: Its none of your
id business" Possibly he restraints his
feelings, and says: Must tell you what
I want TO call up?'
"Oh, yes says the Speaker IF YOU
don't tell me l will not recognise you"
Then the new member goes away all by
himself to think the matter over, and again
his helplessness appeals to him. So he goes
back to the Speakers room just before the
House is called to order. holding a copy of
q bill in his hand. Il want to call up that
BILL" he says.
The Speaker examines the bill carefully.
Presently he says: Il think that this Is a
bad bill. / think that it should not be
passed 1 Will not recognize you to call 1t
up"
II he has any rights as an American citi-
zen ana q representative of the sovereign
people. and he finds that in this particular
matter he has not. And he exhorts his
whole vicious system. which gives to one
man the right to control the action Of
3oS others. And the other members laugh
at him or reason with him. And In time he
becomes accustomed to the hopeless situa-
ton, and grows silent. But he Is not
feconciled to the condition OF affairs until
he has become one of the old members or
possibly is Speaker of the House himself.
The Seriousness of the Position.
The seriousness of the position Of the
House becomes apparent to you when you
stop to think that all legislation relating to
the revenue must originate in the House,
and that the control Of the conduct of the
House IL virtually in the hands Of one man.
As a member Of Congress commenting on
| the situation remarked recently, the
| Speakership in the hands Of a corrupt man
| could be made the weapon for immense
! evil To be sure, the power Of the Speaker
| il largely negative. He can prevent the
passage Of a measure which Is obnoxious
| to him, but he cannot force the House,
under ordinary conditions, to pass the
1 legislation which pleases him. Still, there
| is an immense coercive power available.
! The future Of almost every man on the
| Speaker Of the House has ruined men who
opposed his wishes. All of the older men,
| bers Of the House can recall the unfortun-
| ate missteps Of promising new members in
| years past, who antagonfzed the Speaker,
| and for their temerity were denied recogni-
| ton for the remainder Of q Congress- A
I new member cannot explain to the people
| Of his district why his voice Is never heard
in debate. or why his measures never be-