The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-28
SPEAKER REEDS BIG HEAD.
IT ATTRACTS THE ATTENTION OF
ALL WHO VISITS THE HOUSE.

Iron VIII and the Way He Com
trolls the Members His Fight
Against ExtraNagant ApprOpria-
lions - The Revolt Against His
MethOds-The Manner in Which lie
Triumphed-Other Matters of In
terest.
Washington, March 27.-There is an
American flag in the House of Representa-
tives. 1t is draped from the claws of
gilded eagle, below the correspondents
gallery. 1t serves to-day as the back
ground Of a great head. This head has
a Shakespearean dome. Its eyes are
small. beady and twinkling. The nose is
not massive, although faultlessly mould
ed. The face is as clean as the dome of
the head. The mouth Is small and is used
for breathing as well as for talking. The
neck is short and thick, and the body that
sustains the neck, head and intellect is
indicative of great strength and endur-
ance. 1t is composed of good sound,
healthy flesh and bone, indicative of the
character and ability of it's owner. 1t fills
the chair of the Speaker of the House OF
Representatives.
have never seen a visitor enter the gal
leries who did not fasten his eyes upon
the face of Thomas B. Reed in apparent
wonderment. This wonderment increases
when Mr.. Reed arises to put a question
10 the House. The voise is resonant and
powerful. Every word is distinctly heard.
Door is ''dough-ar," and bill is "be-ill."
The drawl is pronounced, and so effective
that 1t would produce a Standardization
in group of very thin tumblers. 1t is
said that this remarkable clearness of
enunciation and pronunciation is the re-
suit Of a powerful will, exerted to pre-
vent stammering. If the owner of the
voice should at any moment lose his self
| possession and become angry or excited,
the old boyish habit of suffering might
force itself to the front and regain con-
troll. Certain 1t is that the most remark
able thing about the personality of Thorn
as b. Reed Is his voice, his accent, and
his entire self-control. He never loses the
| latter even when he bangs the desk with
the gavel. Members must take their
seats tbang, bang, bang, and gentlemen
| in conversation must retire to the cloak
| rooms (bang, bang, bang. The voice it
| self seems to reach the hearts of the re-
| cusants, and they instinctively find their
own seats or sink il the unoccupied seats
| of their colleagues.
| No speaker ever had as strong a person.
atty as Thomas B. Reed. No face like
| his, or even remotely resembling his can
be found in the gallery of the portraits of
| the speakers. 1t is a face typical of the
| power reached by its possessor. The
/ speaker is practically no longer the serw-
ant of the House; he is its master and
| proprietor. He 1isposes of legislative bar
/ onies and feoffs, and exacts strict allie
| he
| rooms, and the feoffs are the legislation
| referred to the committees. No Roman
/ emperor ever had more absolute control.
In former days the House was practi-
cally ruled by the committees. In these
| days, however, the committees can report
| their bills, but the speaker places them
| upon the calendar, and the committees are
/ thereafter powerless With slight excep-
| tons, no consideration can be reached
| without the fiat of the speaker Singular
to relate. the House itself is responsible
| for these rules.
| The, Fiftleth congress will long be re-
| membered as the filibustering congress
| John G.. Carlisle was speaker. The rules
| favored the personal rights of the mem
| bers, and gave the committees power to
| bring before the House measures which
| they had digested The personal rights
| secured to the members, however, inter
| fered at times with the exercise Of the
| power of the committees One or two
| members had the power, by simple par
| liamentary motions, to defeat the consid-
| Grafton of any bill reported from any COM
| mittee. By such eXpedients James B.
Weaver of Iowa, Clifton r. Breckenridge
| of Arkansas and others held the House
by the throat for days, and even weeks,
| to prevent the passage of measures vital
| to the interests Of the republic. At times
| members, piqued because they could not
| secure the passage of some private bill.
| reVenged themselves upon the House nv
| filibusterlng. By this course thew couId
| delay If not defeat, appropriation bills
and all privileged measures. They brought
on and dragged out night sessions to IN
| seemly hours, and sometimes continued a
legislative day for a week or more.
With the advent of the Fifty-first con
gress and the election of Thomas b. Reed
as speaker a change was effected. This
was made audaciously and effectively nv
refusing to adopt the rules of the preced-
ing House until new rules could me re
| ported, the House was left under genera,
parliamentary law. The speaker constru-
| ed general parliamentary law He began
to count quorum, and refused to enter
| tain motions to adjourn or to take recess
For two days he refused to entertain an
appeal from his decision as to mis- right 70
| count quorum; but when, by the rebuke
| of Maj. Mckinley, he did entertain an an
| peal, the House sustained him in his ac-
| ton. Ihis gave him ground work for the
change contemplated. AS his exposition
of parliamentary law had been sustained
| by the House, it was parliamentary law
| for the House.
The new rules were drawn UP by the ma
jority OF the committee on rules. That
majority was Thomas B. Reed. William
| Mckinley and Joseph G. Cannon. Mai
Mckinney, in speech on the floor of the
| House, said that the rules were drawn IN
| TO give the House an opportunity to do
| business. The Fifty-first congress did It's
| business and adjourned.
! In attempting to curtaE the personal
| power of the members, so as TO protect
the power of the committees, the House
| oVefreached itself. The next two con
| crosses were democratic. They attempted
! to restore the equilibrium. They suppressed
| hlbustering by giving the speaker enlarg.
| ed powers. IL was possible for committees
! to get their work before the House under
| the rules, but the speaker had the mower
| at any time 10 check 1t. II could be done
by the manipulation of his lieutenants on
the floor, or In other ways In the morn.
/ ing hour which was really the only omen
way 70 anything not privileged, the sneak
| er called the committees and recognized
/ the chairman to call uD any biile en-