The Portland daily press., 1895-12-09
ESPECIAL TO THE fREss.1

~
tion that neither House Of Congress shall
adjourn for more than three days without
the consent of the other So the House
meets every second or third day, remains
IN session an hour or two. disposes of a
few formal matters, and then adjnurns.
This will be the programme until the
committees are announced. The holiday
recess" usually begins about the 21st Of
December and extends to the 5th or 7th
OF the January following. Sometimes in
recent years, the Speakers have not an
nounced their committees until after this
recess. In the Fifty-Arst Congress,
Speaker Reed was far more prompt than
this, getting some of the most important
committees appointed and at work a few
days after the session opened.
1t will be difficult, however, for him to
even approach such promptness this Con-
gress, although he win probably an
nounce the committees before the recess.
Conditions this year are unique. 1t
would seem that everything had been
party to conspiracy OF circumstances. for
the EN- barrass ment of the 81 eaker He
was nominated unanimously in the
caucus of his party.a thing almost, If not
entirely unprecedented. So nearly every
one of the 240 odd Republicans feel that
be has claim upon the Speakers favor.
Had nearly half Of these supported some
other candidate they would not have ex-
pected much, and consequently would
not have been SO urgent of their claims.
Then these 240 odd Republicans consti-
tute larger body than ever stood behind
a. SpaakQr in an marican Con rracc Qf
course the minority party does not expect
much of a Speaker, so this large Repub-
lioan majority eliminates largely a class
who would not cause much embarrass-
ment on the committee question.
In addition to all this, many of the
new Republican members have come here
with quite large notions of what they
ought to have. Many of them have
carried Democratic districts, and can
hope to keep them only by showing a
high degree Of efficiency here. And the
first step in this direction is good COM
mittee place. Such men usually want
place on ways and means, or appropri-
ations; or rivers and harbors but would
in ca Q Of dire necessity, put up with for
eign affairs or banking and currency.
Mr.. Reed relates to such how, when lie
came first to Congress-, he was put near
the foot of the committee on territories
but they do not seem at all recOnciled to
being subjected, in these days of Republi
can glory, to the hard fare Of the fathers.
There is also an embarrassing notion
among some members that they are en-
titled to the places which the preceding
members from their districts held. If an
old Democratic member, by years of
service, had advanced himself to the ap-
propriations committee, for instance, the
new Republican who oyerturned him and
took away his peacock feather, expects
that the coVmittee place is part of the
spoils.
Some simply write letters to the
Speaker telling him what their first,
second and even third choices Of places
are. Some call to tell him, some to argue
and even importune. Many send their
friends around. especially the Senators
from their states. Thus the number of
astonishingly multiplied. They begin to
call at the Shoreham hotel in the morn
ing, and the Speaker sees them in sue
cession until after II O'Clock Then he
breaks away and gets to the House where
the session begins at noon, If here is a
session. The callers follow, and when,
after the House adjourns, he steps into
the Speakers room, which is near the
hall of the House, he finds group await
ing him. While he is seeing these, others
come, and SO it continues until D. m,
This is the dinner hour in Washington.
and there is respite. But after dinner
the interviewing egins again at the
Shoreham, and often lasts until mid
night.
the past week, and for the week before
1t is hard but necessary labor. The
Speaker must know the new men and
their characteristics in certain particu-
lars The committees are the running
gear of the House. AS the committees
conduct themselves, SO will the fame of
the House stand. Suppose majority of
the nineteen men appointed to the rivers
and harbors committee should turn out
to be easy going, extravagant men, dis
posed to give to all who asked. There
would result river and harbor bill that
would put the seal of extravaganza upon
the whole House. Suppose all the hot
headed or all the timid men should by
chance get together on the foreign affairs
committee. They might embroil the
country unnecessarily, OF allow its
dignity to suffer. For the House acts
largely upon the advice of the commit
tees, who are the specialists supposed to
know most about their respective sub
jects.
The Speaker is aiming to ascertain as
much as possible about each new member
and to put him where he will do the most
good to the legislative machine Upon
the right placing of these men depends
the quality of the performances Of the
House.
The newspapers have been full of what
Mr.. Reed has decided to do about COM
mittee appointments These statements
are guesses merely. 1t is safe to say that
if the Speaker has decided where he shall
place men like Dingley,, Canon or Hen
derson, they do not yet know it, and if
they do not know it, the public do not.
Probably Mr.. Boutelle does not know
whether he will be chairman of naval
affairs, although 1t is natural and
probably safe to guess that he will be.
Perhaps there was never Congress when
the logic of circumstances imposed OF the
Speaker such complete reserve as to his
inte ntions.