New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-18
THE HOUSE IN ACTION.
CONFUSION WORSE COMPOUNDED THAT
Is SIMPLE ENOUGH AFTER ALL
MIR REEDS LEADERSHIP AND METHODS OF Al
STRANGERS ~ TIE GALLERIES AND
WHAT THEY SEE AND HEAR-THE
TRIBILATIONs OF NEW
MI MEIER.


WHAT THEY SEE AND HEAR-THE
TRIBrLATIoNs OF NEW
MEMBER.
Washington. March l7.-No matter what goes
on whether an angry partisan debate or roll
call the galleries Of the House of Representatives
during sessions Of the House are crowded. The
crowd is motley. Except on most extraordinary
OCCASIONS no one is to be in the small gallery
reserved for the use Of the President ana MS
family The gallery belonging - the Diplomatic
Corps generally contains from two u nan
dozen persons. whose appearance. naturally. Is
foreign and is apt II be distinguished. me large
galleries reserved for the families Of members
are always we'll filed and generally crowded.
and here the fact is demonstrated. If ii were not
on the floor Of the House. that this Is den''-
racy The differences Of which society taxes
note but which the Constitution and the ballot
hox ignore are more readily observed In women
than in men and in Congressmen's wives than III
Congressmen Each Of these 337 men who COM
pose the House Of Representatives Is here az the
result of a common purpose on the part OF
% 600 or more voters. and IL Is safe TO argue now
ever he looks or acts wha tever the twang III MS
voice or his peculiarties OF walk or atHuiue'
tina; there is something vrile and valuable In nm
which enables him to stand without feeling awk-
ward out or place dHl'He INC 5'''''NN
strongest Of his countrymen
Rut this does not follow as 10 his sisters ana
hi; cousins and his aunts and M in the galleries.
where they sit and look and listen AT what they
do not understand. is the place 10 observe no"
good is orr title t. the claim that wealth
and social rank are small factors in our American
politics.
Bevond these are the grea, galleries open to the
nublic and II you take the trouble to remain
in the House for a whole day and to watch '"'
crowds shift In these benches You VIII mo your
self constantly wondering who they are ana why
IN tho world they are willing t. 81 there 80
patiently giving attention Go what must he l."
them entirely bcwildering and incomprehensi"'.
And vet they come and stay all day ana
.,.r, dav white black seedy. gaudy. dude
tramp bondh,l1cr. granger. brilliant women VIII"
s,,or, ,,vns and bonnotS tina, belong Just where
they are. and d.ugy women In dingy' cl''h'S'
dingv compilations ANA air IF hopeless ign'-
,,r,. ahou; all the things that women ought t.
,,o,v instinctiv,y f. would bc comparatively
easy g imagine what brings these people there
Inn, tho mystery is what keeps Hlem They can
hosr ar understand anything that - gong on
Tho air IS heavy and bad. the liSht dull ana III"
scone. however animated a apparently s'nsei"SS
az a Chinese puzzle. Yet there they sit an dN
long and crane their necks and get hp ana 20
away. utterly ignoran, Il anything thA' mas o.
l,rrod but entirely satisfied al having seen the
,nnr,can Congress engaged in the great function
Of government
Members then selves share with tn" pubic
this perplexity bout the proceedings Il taxes
q new member however quick may he hi' apP''-
tensions and however wild" his experience !"
affairs the greater part Of A term {" G"a''E
himself To- participai" In the business 81 '"'
House For the machinery 81 legislation i
a,,,yi,glv compl.x- simple enough. II course.
IN those who understand it. and commences -
,bo,n nc the only machinery los which the bust
ness Of the country can j." performer VIII"
ANYTHING like efficiency: and ye, the new men-
her no matter how carefully h" attends - L.
how constantly and thoroughly h" examines H.
l. hound =, come T., the end %: nis first session.
II not his first term. with a sort Of b""II1'r'l
foeIine and a large doubt a. - whether u VIII
ever ~. posslble FOR him - feel sure Of himself
q, any stage Of any Congressional experience.
Many things combine To- prpduc" this condi-
ton In the first place the membership 'i IN"
House Is large-too large. Under the moss
favorable circumstances II Is difficult - near
what ANYBODY is saying unless You - and sianl
directly in front Of him. And then You gem
orally find that the subject is foreign 30 YOU or
that +, is I'm a stage wherr II You feel that You
/ have ANYTHING - say about II, or do ABOUT
f, the rules 81 the House won't permit You To
say IT or DO H. II in burst u enthusiasm ''n
cry out: Mfr. Speaker" YOU observe mat
everybody looks around in an amused sort 9!
WAY as much as 10 say What very adde's
cen, person this H.. How the goats would nib
bic AZ him il he were to venture alone on the
hills back Of the town" Then when YOU say
that YOU desire to offer a resolution that such
I'm
somebody gets up and says he rises to a point
Of order and saws the point Is this or that. as
IN which YOU cannot. for the life OF YOU. follow
him: and the Speaker says that the point Is
we'll taken and that the gentleman from Musty-
VILE will be seated. and then everybody smiles
! and somebody else gets up and goes ahead as
! If he had the right L., and then you begin 10
realize that somehow or another You have made
q mistake and in the choice language of the
day are not lin IT," This Is "A common ex-
perience with new members. and after they have
encountered IT onee or twice. they make haste
slowly The new member who has the good
sense to sit quietly by week after week, and
absorb as hes. he can who bushes himself max
I ing friends and avoids making enemies. who
asks questions freely. but is extremely careful
not 10 ask foolish ones-that member Is wise In
his day and generation and II ne has In him
! the qualities that At n man for Congressional
| career he will be sure in the end 20 do some
thing worth while. But single mistake Is
costly The opportunities to make fool OF
himself are ncalcuable and many good man
has been ruined for effective service by ill-con-
sidered attempts to get ahead too soon.
There IS a theory that the Speaker or the House
is its servant-a theory which Mr. Reed used to
put forward when. with his gentle birch. h"
touched the ankles Of such Of his masters "a did
not understand how properly 10 command SER
want This theory everybody knows. Is rarely
proved but few can realize the power Of "A
Speaker when he chooses 10 exercise H. IL
amounts practically, to this: That no subject
can come before Congress II he makes up his
mind that he doesn't want 1t to. come: and even
when II IL there. his influence in shaping and
a.. a., and gnnnralll.