El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-02-05

Pluck and Endurance - The Speaker
Thinks the Members Would Loot the
Treasury if They Were Not Checked.
WASHINGTON, Feb. p Special. AS
the scssiO IN of congress draws nearer and
nearer to an end the pressure upon Speaker
Reed for permission to call up and place on
their passage public building and other
bills in which members are directly inter
ested bo.omes so great the wonder is that
the speaker withStandS it. The speaker
has resolutcly set his face against all such
measures BY his position speaker and
OK oflicio chairman of the committee on
rules he is able TO say what measures shall
and what shall not come before the house
No complaint is made that the speaker ia
vOrs his friends. He turns down all COM
ers When his friends go to him, almost
with tears in their eyes, begging to be per
mittCd to call up their little bills, the
speaker tells them it is hard to deny the
requests of friends and that their appeals
only make his duty the harder to perform,
but that he must perform it. IF l let the
bars down for you he explains, Il Will
have to let them down for all the others,
and the first thing VIC know there will not
be Il dollar left in the treasury
The Bill Suppressor.
While there is a great deal of muttering
at this autocratic suppression of bills, the
Speakers friends defend him. They say
that some one must stand between the
treasury and the desire of congressman to
pass little bills for public buildings and
similar purposes, every one taking money
eff Mr.. Reed We're not one of the most
cOura geOuS and determined men in public
life" said one of his friends to me, the
treasury would be looted before March 4.
In the words of Captain Tanner, God help
the surplus!'
In connection with the speakers cam
pai"n against extravGgant appropriations
l have heard some good stories. One of
these relates TO the man who served two
years in the house without ever being rec
| ognizCd by the speaker and without once
| taking the floor. Hcw Judge De Ravens
| of California. Early i'll his congressional
career he called on the speaker and asked
permission to call up his bill for some pur-
| pose in California.
What is your b-i-l-l?' asked the speaker
in his characteristic drawl.
''Oh it is a little thing! 1t doesn't take
| much money out of the treasury, n very
small sum, - replied the congressman.
but l must know what your bill is.
1 must know all about it, retOrted the
| speaker.
Whereupon the California member lost
his temper He damned the speaker TO his
face. He said to him that he CHE member
| from California; had been elected to the
| house of representatives in the same way
that the gentleman from Maine had been
| elected, and it was beneath his dignity and
! the dignity of his constituents who had
sent him thithCr for him to explain to any
| one the terms of the measure which he
wished to call up. The big speaker only
| smiled at him, and the angry con- gresham
| bolted out of the speaker 5 room, slamming
| the door after him. He was never rCcOg-
| nized on the floor for the purpose of calling
| up that bill or for any other purpose and
| to this day enjoys the distinction OF being
! perhaps the only man who ever served tive
| years in the house without once getting his
name in The Congressional Record, save
| on roll call.
Wanted to lie Recognized.
| Another California member, and, as
| chance would have it, the successor OF
| Judge De Ravens, came to congress deter
mined to pass Il certain local measure OF
uie trying. One day he called on the speak
| er in that gcntleman's room.
| Mr.. Speaker, - he said, Il wish to be
recognized for the purpose of calling up 4
| bill of great interest to my people"
what is your b-i-l-l:'' asked the speaker.
The member explained that it was a bill
to create II life saving station on the coast
| of California.
this session" said Mr.. Reed.
| Very sorry, Mr.. Speaker said the
| congressman blandly. Good morning.
Next day he was in the speakers room
again.
Mr. Speaker" he said. Il have come tc
| see if You viii recognize me for the purpose
of calling up Il BILL
! lis that the same bill you were here
| about Yesterday
| r. The SalnC hill -
''Wcn, told you l could do nothing fOl
you. 1 meant it too l say the same thing
now"
Il am very sorry, Mr.. Speaker. Coco
morning.
But the third and the fourth day ht
was there again making the same rcquos
| in his blandest tones The speaker finally
| exclaimed the fourth day:
| Bring me u copy of your b-il-l.'
! In ten minutes he had a copy of the bill
on his desk He looked it over and theI
| said:
| III see the department about it"
| Thank you, Mr.. Speaker. Good morn
ing!'
That very day the congressman went t
the treasury, secured a letter recommend
ing the life saving station and next morn
| ing was at the Speakers room for the fifth
| time.
I
ter about that little bill Of mine"
| he Finally Relcnted.
| The speaker looked at the letter, glanccC
| up ut the con grcSslnan and then drawlcd
II will take the matter under consider
| alton"
| "Thank you, MI. Speaker. Good morn
| ing
| The next day was Sunday, and nothin!
| could he done But Monday morning, Il
| soon as the house met, the member from
! California was soon on his feet. Mr.
| speaker" nc shouted. Some one else wa
| recognized. 4 few minutes later the Cali
| fprnian, who had voice that could b.
| heard Il mile away, yelled Mr.. Speaker
I again. Every five minutes for an hour n
| sang ont - Mr.. SpCakor!' in Il tone tina
made the desks rattle. Finally Mr.. Rcc'
| turned his head with jerk, glanced quiz
| Yically at the Californian, smiled Il Quec
| smile and exclaimed:
| The gentleman from California. y
| The bill was offered and was passed, ant
| that Pacific coast congressman was tin
| happiest man in Washington. He not onl
| had his bill through. but had won out in
| game of pluck and endurance with the hi
man from the other end Of the continent