St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-12
PRINTING UNDELIVERED
SPEECHES.

Many newspapers are continually in
Weighing against the practice in vogue
in both houses OF congress of giving
members who may feel disinciined to
speak upon questions before them for
consideration leave to print their re-
marks in the Congressional Record.
The practice is denounced as an en-
enlargement to laZiness in congress
men, and wasteful use of the public
money.
The GLOBE is inclined to willfully
stultlfy itself in this matter. 1t is. on
general principles, opposed to the print
ing of speeches that were never deliy-
cred on the floor of the senate and
house, and which the members LACK the
ability to deliver if they had the oppor-
tunity: but if called upon to choose be-
tween that and the infliction of the
speeches themselves, it will choose the
lesser evil.
Does the average reader realize the
-paraiy zing effect which the actual de-
livery of all the speech es prepared on
the tariff question would have had?
There was not member of the house
who had not prepared "a few remarks"
upon this grave measure. These re-
marks were in most cases type-written
and carefully prepared by the con-
gresham himself, his secretary or some
obllging friend. They were all able
and exha ustive eXpositions of the issue
between revenue and protective tariff,
and were no doubt intended to resound
along the corridors of time-and the
capitol-for ages. But the house was
unkind to these aspiring statesmen. A
rule was adopted combining the speeches
to five minutes each. and each member
was limited to one speech only. The
rule. was great dampener to the am
bition of many adolescent orators, but
to the majority it was blessing in dis
guse. The rules of the house permit
member to print the remarks he may
have intended to deli yer in the Con-
gressi0nal Record. The device saves
labor, and relieves the members unac-
customed to oratory Of great embar-
rassment. 1t also relic yes the public
from the necessity OF reading the
speeches, while at the same time it
enables the congressman to show
W IuOil COuSIlbuCuGo lHCJ dlO
alive to the pending legislation. The
constituents will see by the Record that
the Hon. Mr.. So-and-So delivered an
address which occupied from two to
dozen pages in that diurnal-perhaps
that his speech was interrupted by an
impertinent adversary, who received a
pertinent and incisiye rejoinder-and
that the galleries frequently applauded
some apt illustration or convincing
argument. The truth of the matter
generally is that the congressman spoke
just three words-"Leave to print"
and that the speaker responded with
the word Granted"
1t is estimated that if all the spec ches
prepared on the tariff bill had been
actually delivered, the debate would
have lasted from six to seven months
longer than it did. Most of the speeches
abounded in statistical data and copiOus
quotations from recognized authorities
on economic theory and law. and would
have required from Que to ten hours in
their delivery. AS printed in the Con-
gressional Record they will cover some
three thousand large pages, and when
DOuHu Will MAKE VOluIn6 weighing
twenty-three pounds "a very pretty
pocket album of eloquence.
OF course it costs-and costs like the
mischlef-to print all these undelivered
speeches. But what would it have cost
to listen TO them all, and to print them
afterwards, instead of printing them
nrst and ignoring them afterward. In
all probability, before the debate closed
the speaker of the house would have
been driveling idiot and the majority
of the members of congress raving
maniacs. Tariff discussions are an ac-
ceptable, and even agreeable article of
intellectual diet on occasions; but when
one comes to breakfasting on tariff,
dining on tariff. supping on tariff. and
sleeping On tariff mattress, the thing
is apt to become Inonotonous. The
country can scarce realize the horrors it
has escaped by the convenient rule
which gives the congressman leave to
print their remarks. 1t may have cost
the country $4,000 or $4,000 for this
occasion only, but is an economical
measure at that, for it would have cost