The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-05-04
Speaker 1hOmIS B. Reeds influence
on the inOrity.
The EFFECT OF HIS APPOINTMENTS.
The Old Men With Long and Honorable
Service on the Democratic side Ecse-
gated to the K,ar-what Jerry
Simpson ID Il. .


IinpSfd tvr pIOCess Desau III tne rIIty-lirst
SV.srcss. Jene. son > manual ndu prov
"a Isiaurc. IL had icit the lower mouse
ot ConsIess at the mercy OF the indivi-
uuat AiIuuster. No business cOuIu DC
uOnc wnen lie objected. IniS unique
per.onase had not appeared wnen Jet-
iefsvn IIameu his manual How the du-
thUr Of the Declaration or Independence
Mould have acted II ne had forescen the
ADVENT OF TINS remarkable product OF an
in,ciIectual age Is proUlematlcal. Speaker
need acted rs IL by mutation. lie maze
an Improvement upon the manual, ana
the lmperator appeared. New and i'm
proved rules were necessary TO sustain
him. The SEearer originated them in
the Fifty-nrst Congress. lie submitted
them Tor the consideration OF the House.
and by strong party majority the
mouse adopted them.
Nnen the Fifty-second Congress as
remDied, the Democratic majority re-
cOgnized the revolution that had been
made in legislation. That Congress
made Speaker Crisp lmpcratOr. lie had
fully as much power as has Speaker
Reed in the present Congress, and he
used this power whenever he saw fit.
10 originated in the committee on rules.
which he appointed and dominated. On
authority The Democratic caucus which
considered the rules sanctioned them
with the expressed stipulation that when
a majority of the dominant party in the
House signed request asking Tor
special order from the committee on rule
providing for the consideration OF any
measure. the Speaker should sanction X.
ON one or more occasions such special
orders were sought and refused.
The Speaker was paramount. No man
was more firm in laying out line or
action and retaining IL against all odds
either inside or outside Of his party, tha'-
speaker crisp. lie may go'sibly have
been more suave and complainant than
Speaker Reed. but ne was fully as firm
and obdurate. He was lmperator
SLIGHT REVOLTS.
Party demands make Speakers in late
years Imperators. Speaker Reed is play
ny no new role. He assumed 1t in the
Fifty-nrst Congress with the sanction o.
those who made him Speaker. He resum
ed il in the Fifty fourth Congress, and
was enthusiast ally sustained by his
party in the House. At times there were
Slight indications Of dissent and revolt
so slight as 10 be almost ridiculous. on.
was headed by Joseph II. Walker. now
known as the bold mutineer or the
Quinsigamond. No fiery and untamed
steed ever reared more viciously and
kicked more perslstently. He made
second plunge in the late caucus for the
selection Of Speaker In the Fifty-httn
Congress. and was seconded by a can
tankerous colt from Buffalo. whose fiery
nostrlls and bucklng procllvities excite
universal admiration. Ii was a mere
curry and IL all amounted TO nothing.
The Imperator appeared. and was hailed
with accamat.ols Of delight, Ike "A Ma
poleon returning from an Austerltz.
And he had returned from an Austen
iitz. His antagonists. who had indignant
lv and unanimously refused TO give him
the customary vote Of thanks In the clos
ing hours of the Ffty-frst Congress. had
enthusiastically and unanimously given
him a vote of thanks in the expiring
minutes Of the Ffty-fourth Congress.
Yet his attitude and rulings had been
practically the same. The indignation
Of the opposite party had been especially
aroused in the Fifty-hrst Congress be
cause eight Democrats had been unseat-
I'd and Republicans put in their places.
vet in TIE Fifty-fourth Congress so many
Democrats were thrown out that IL re
auired three committees on elections to
do the work The Speaker had no.
changed. but party feeling had been tenn
cred The fact that Speaker Crisp had
followed the pathway blazed by Speake-
Reed had sOfrened the feeHng TOWARD
the present Speaker. The Imperator idea
had been recognized. and its strength
solidihed.
DEMOCRATIC SELECTIONS.
As the party leader in an opposition
House. Speaker Reed was lmperator
when in his blunt way ne waved his
hand over the Republican side OF the
chamber. and. in deep significant tones
said: "AH up" Every Republican re-
sronded with military. precision. Rarely
ala he encounter opposition In his own
ranlss He was usually enthusiastically
supnorted. The opposition presented
,,arlsed contrast The only man who
wro could preserve any semblance OF
authority over it was Charles f. Crisp.
His place was rot easily to be filled.
Thomas h. Reed filled Crisp's place in
the committee on rules by appointing
los w. Bailey Of Texas. Even In thi-
10 showed his usual sagacity. The Dem
ocratic caucus apparently ratihed the
selection by making Mr.. Bailey us can
didate for Speaker. Thereupon MT feed
rlacod the Texan at the head OF the
minority on the ways and means com
mittee. He did more than this. lie sell
ected that gallant young cavalier OF VIZ
-iri, Claude A. Swanson. as Mr.. Bailey's
cnllo,rue ON the WAYS and means. and
sunplerented 1t by putting at his side
"a Young Louisianian. sans peur ct sans
renroche. Samuel " Robertson of Baton
Rouge. m,
These selections were significant. The
three new members of the ways and
means were taken from the South, leaV-
ing the Northern Democracy totally I'M
represented on the committee. Speaker
Reed did not even do as well by t5e
Northern Democracy as he did IN inc
Fiftv-frst Congress. for while allowing
hem four members OF the committee q,
that time he made Governor Flower O.
New York one Of the four.
His action in this Congress stands In
strong contrast TO the course taken by
{. e,Fe- Crisp In the Fifty-seeond anc
riftv-third Congresses. Mr.. Springer. or
Illinois. was made chairman OF the ways
and means in the Fifty-seco7d CONGRESS
and had as his colleagues Messrs. Whit
ing. OF Michigan. Shively, OF Indiana.
Cochran, Of New York Stevens, or
Massachusetts. and BRYAN. OF Nebraska
The only Southern members were Messrs
McMillin. of Tennessee. Turner. OF Geor-
eia. Wilson. Of West Virginia. and Mont
comery. OF Kentucky. In the Fifty-third
Congress Mr.. Crisp made Southern
Democrat. Mr.. Wilson. Of West Virginia
chairman of the committee. The North
ern Democrats were represented by
Messrs. whiting. of Michigan. Cochran.
OF New York. Stevens. OF Massachusetts,.
BRYAN. of Nebraska. and Bynum. OK
Indiana. Mr.. Wilson's Southern collea-
CUES were McMillin. OF Tennessee, Tur-
ror Of Ceoroia MOntgOmerV of Ken