The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-29
LIVE WASHINGTON TOPICS.
sEr< roR ears PROPOSED <NErB-
NEWT TO THE SENATE RULRs.

II weuie Practically Psf =. Ess ~ Speech
MshisE IN ths srsste-Sesrstsry lie.
raort's SEMINARY Bis-issei OF Twsztys
ave Clsrks-A Re-srs ahie Fsnsio. Case.
WARRINGTON April Ex-senator Gray Of
Delaware probably cid not really mean IL
when he introduced In the Senate the other
day the following proposed amendment to
rule 10.
No Senator shall read . speech. nor shah h. read
from any book or paper except may be 10 quote an
authority or Illustrate point argument witch he
IL making. without unanimous consent
The Delaware Senator submitted this UNIQUE
proposition at moment when he was little
out OF patience at Senator Dolph Of Oregon,
who. under the euise Of making q tariff speech.
was rambling all over every subject in crea-
tion. and reading and having read long ex-
tracts from newspapers and documents APP
parently connected In no way with the Tariff
bill which was the subject under discussion
in the Senate. II Mr. Grsy's amend
ment to the rules should be adopt
cd, which. OF course. II will not be.
the practical effect would be to put an end to
speech making In the United States Senate.
because there are only three or four Senators
who ever make set speech without the use OF
manuscript. Senator Wolcott Of Colorado
commits his speeches to memory and delivers
them with much grace and slocutlonary and
oratoricsl effect. and few other Senators oc-
casionally make speeches without having
them written out. but this is seldom the case
during formal debate such AZ is now in prog
ress In the Senate Moreover. it is q fact not
to be disputed By anybody that some Of the
ablest and best speeches are delivered by Sem
ators who make no pretensions whatever to
oratory and who could do no better than read
speech from manuscript II their reelection
depended upon it.
During the pending debate II has been
noticeable that the ablest arguments have
been made by men who have no qualities at
all as public speakers but who simply write
out an argument and read It to the Senate.
They would not even do this but for the UNI
written law OF the Senate that does not permit
the publicatio OF speech In the Record unless
1t has previously been read In the Senate. Two
OF the ablest speeches yet made during the
progress OF the debate on the Wilson bill were
those OF Senators Mcmillan Of Michigan and
washburn Of Minnesota These men are
wealthy. shrewd practical business men. who
cannot under any circumstances make
speech, yet the essays. or whatever they may
tanned more inform alton and practice al in struc-
tion on the subject Of the tariff than all the
Mcmillan, for Instance ceniined his speech al:
most wholly to discussion OF the relations OF
United states and to eO proys that the pr 1e
visions OF the Wilson bill and those OF tho re-
sre so reciprocal and close.ttnS in their com
strustion that they must have been prepared
teetins tS o isrSers the unted states ss
etor Mcmillan lives IN Detroit, on the Cana;
tfis; /: added the result Of long stud, Of tn.
Senator washburn likewise confined his ar.
Gument to pointing ont the benefits OF the
the provisions Of the Wilson bill: The Demo
cratic senators t say that they did not intend to
sas .wgsr the iii does IN
esss rnfy them apS shis WAS made Per-
with large concerns the Minnesota senator has
become well informed as to the practical work
| ings of reciprocal arrangements with the South
American and other countries. and his argu-
mont In opposition to the destruction of the
speeches would be entirely lost to the public Il
be adopted. and for that reason It is not apt to
be even considered seriously.
Senators Chandler and Gallinger OF New
Hampshire are such bitter political and per-
sonal enemies that OF late they are not even on
npeaking terms 1t is quite possible. however,
that the whirliGig OF next falls elections will
ats N Sfsss the ssfTsd Ino. sst
year. Senator Chandler who always takes time
Bassetts little red Book as an Applicant Tor
Suiiom,s sea. on tho front row when
rib. ride torehanded. iooksd aSout him ' for
Pied By senator Dolph Of Oregon would Just
about suit him. So he told Capt. Bassett to
Eut his name down for it but the old gentle
!, !S' H.
Why" said the New Hampshire Senator.
awhile ago that he wouldn't serve another
term under any cireumstanees whatever"
down for H. Dsoa. seat and the ' caD.
not Be a candidate for reelectIon. but that he
will be succeeded by ex;Goy. Wetm9re II Mr.
somsbody Else MT. Chandler viii get his seat It.
a.n Il. sn sba% Neg SboM n lire S
Dixon's seat is the one occupied for many
years By Senator Edmnnds and before that
father, the first OF the three Nathan +, Dixons
who. have been in Congress from the south
west corner OF Little Rhody."
Secretary Lamont has created CONSERVATION
| among the army OF Government clerks In
Washington by summary Diminishing twenty
fve OF them from his own department He
| does not charge them with Offensive parti-
sanship." or "inefficiency," or neglect Of
duty" or any OF the usual shortcomings which
| are used as excuses Tor getting rid OF Govern
ment employers. but he has removed them on
| needed. The Secretary OF War has learned
what everybody else in Washington has
| known for long time. that In some Of
| the Government departments the clerks loaf
more than half the day and work very little the
| other half IL Is equally true. however. that in
other departments clerks do much more work
| than they are paid for, and in many cases they
| get much smaller salaries than they deserve
But in the State. War. and Navy Departments
nobody Is oyerwoIked. and Secretary Lamont
will never miss the twenty-five clerks whom
| he has dropped. Indeed. he might WELD his
axe again without erippling the work
Of his department In the State and
ing the clerks have a softer time even
than in the Var Department. and II Sec
Ti Il Into theiS heads To GET their densSt.
| msnts down to a practical, husiness-like basis.
| they could reduce the annual appropriation
for CLERK hire oy very large sm9.nnt; IL Is