Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-21


over the Senate. The Vice President is
merely the presiding officer of the Senate
and the understudy of the President, who is
not supposed to have any responsibility for
the policy of Congress. and who never cx-
poets to be called upon to take the part
played by the President. His duties are
purely parliamentary, and his labors beyond
that are no greater than he chooses to make
them, or than is involved in the cores
pondence of man prominent in public life.
The Speaker of the House is the great
power of Congress. Upon him depends
chiefly the success or failure of the session.
To great extent. he fixes the opportuni-
ties, If he does not control the dastinies of
the men who serve in the House under him,
and ii has come about that he practically
controls legislation. He may yield to
may resist pressure brought to bear upon
him by members of the House. but in the
end his decision controls in nearly every in
stance. The rules governing the body are
such as he wants; the order of business is
actually, though not nominally, controlled
by him, and he dictates the policy toward
which all things are bent. In doing this he
ccnsults the several leaders of his party On
the floor but they are leaders of his choice,
and in the end they carry out his policy. or
their leadership is a failure and their in
fuence destroyed. This great power is not
always exercised without friction and with
out struggle. Members of the ma jority
things of the Speaker, and as far as posi-
bic he must be compliant. but in all things
his main purpose is adhered to and what he
grants to individual members is received as
favors.
The Speakers Work Shop.
His responsibilities are great and his
time is constantly occupied There may
be occasions during the session when
things are going smoothly along lines al
ready marked out that he can relax his
labors mingle with members on the floor
or perhaps join the cloak room circle.
These occasions are rare. From the be-
ginning to the end of the session his re-
sponsbilities and labors press upon him.
The SPEAKERS work shop is little room
next TO the lobby, overlooking the southern
grounds, just at the head of the south
eastern lobby staircase. Somewhere in
the basement of the building he has an
other smaller room, where he can retire
when his work shop becomes overrun with
visitors. But he cannot shake off his
labors there. They follow him to his lodg-
ings. put him to bed and awake him again
in the morning
The Speaker usually gets to the Capitol
by 1890. At Il o'clock the House meets,
and every minute of the time between
these hours is fully occupied. The bust
ness of the day has to be laid out. There
are official communications and personal
ence to be disposed of and measures press
ing for consideration TO be examined.
There are always members during the
session awaiting the Speaker to ask his
recognition for this bill or for that, and
always committees petitioning for special
orders.
He has to know what the bills are that
are offered and to parcel out the time as
to get desirable legislation disposed of as
rapidly as possible and with due regard for
the claims of consideration. He must fol-
low the work of the several committees,
and must so understand the MANY bills
that get upon the calendar as to be able
to determine when requests for their con-
Sideration are made whether they are such
as it is within his policy to have passed,
and also what relative claim they have
for consideration. He has also to con-
suit often with charmen of leading COM
mitteeS to the order of business for
for the ecognition of the leader Of the
House for certain measures, motions or
resolutions.
Like n Military Command.
Between his arrival at the Capitol ard
his taking the chair at noon there is hardly
time for him to hear those who come and
to dispose of the various things which have
to be settled before the session begins.
There are things to be guarded against, as
well as things to be done, and often rul-
ings to be prepared in anticipation of
points which will be raised during the
proceedings in the House. There are par
liamentary questions to be answered and
suggestions to be made, and withal the
run of business for long time ahead
must be kept in mind and the whole chart
to be studied, like a great commander
studies and maps out his plan of cam
paign.
When the House is in session the Sneaker
seldom leaves the chair if there is any
thing of serious moment pending When
the House is in committe of the whole a
chairman presides and the Speaker is free
for other work, but he has to keep in easy
To rs,
The House does not take a recess at the
lunch hour. Members come and go as they
please, so that this is unnecessary, and
about , o'clock the Speaker calls some
n,m ber to the chair, and takes half an
hour to himself for lunch 1t is the Gus
tom for the Speakers lunch to be served IN
his private room in the basement, where it
is brought by his colored messenger from
the restaurant.
Almost invariably at the close of the
days session a conference is held between
measure of particular importance which is
to occupy the House the next day At this
time, too, requests of members for recogni-
ton during the next morning hour, etc.
pour in, and the Speaker is seldom free I'M
til he can get away from the building. In
disposing of his clerical work, the Speaker
has the assistance of a private secretary
and clerk.
Mr.. Reeds Methods.
Mr.. Reed has the habit in his work which
is common to most newspaper men. He
acquires his information from all available
sources. digests it while seemingly occu-
pied with other matters, and when he is
ready to put it into form goes at it with
dash and hustles as If a voice at the tube
were calling for copy.
Since he came to Washington his days
have been occupied with interviews with
members of the House or in presiding over
the House during its sessions. He has not
been disposed to deny himself to those who
have called on him, and on a few occa-
sioEs when he has left orders that he
should not be disturbed by visitors he has
recanted at the first call
In spite of all the warning he had that
the task of making up the committees would
devolve upon him. he did very little work
which stuck" until after Congress assem-
bled and all the members were here to pass
in review before him. From O'Clock in the
morning each day until the meeting of the
House, or if there was no session, until .
o'clock in the night, most of his time has
been devoted to seeing members who had
the committees or some other subject to talk
about.
For the most part members have had little
else besides hai mir dc