The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-01
THE POLICY OF THE HOUSE
Campaign Of lnaetion Has Proven a
Wise One.
OF COUNTRY THUS CON
GENERATED ON SENATE.

Congressman Lewis and His Famous
Point OF order-Naval Fleet in Portland
July 4 Will Be Well Worth Seeing
Kindling Wood for Senators.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l
Washington, May 31.-The wisdom of
the policy of action or rather non-action.
adopted by the House of Representatives
a1ter the tariff bill had been sent to the
Senate is now being manifested. Had
the House gone on legislating, bringing
forward banking bills, currency bills and
other Important measures, the attention
OF the country would have been distracted
ana there would have been business I'M
certainty over what the House was doing
as well as over the work of the Senate. In
this state of things neither body would
have had feeling of responsibility. But
the inaction of the House has shown to
the country that it has performed the
task for which it was called together. and
is now waiting for the Senate to do it's
part. Attention has been concentrated
upon the Senate, apparently with ex-
cellent effect. They are making much
better progress than they made on the
Wilson bill, and certainly as good if not
better time than they made on the Nc
Kinley bill.
They are being spurred on, also, by
urgent representations from the country.
Commercial bodies, without regard to
party affiliations, are sending urgent de-
mands that speedy action be taken to ter
inmate the present suspense. They
want the tariff bill passed and out of the
way. 1t is possible that the condition of
the Senate may make those appeals more
effective than they would be if any one
party was in control. Neither party can
shirk the burden onto the other. The
Democrats very likely do not feel like OBJ
structing, because after all the Republi-
cans not being in a majority will not be
hurt by the delay. So all feel measure
of responsibility.
The Democrats of the House see the
clear, fierce white light that is directed
upon the Senate, and are making desper-
ate efforts to counterfeit it. This accounts
in measure for the aid they are giving
to disturbers like Jerry Simpson and
Lewis of Washington. The point which
Lewis made in the House on Thursday
has been heralded abroad as great par
llamentary point, which caused the
Speaker to reverse his former position.
AS a matter of fact Lewiss position was
simply nonsensical, so much SO that no
Republican thought it worth while to
combat it and the Speaker overruled it
without taking the trouble to give his
reasons. which were obvious to the trained
parliamentarians on both sides of the
chamber. Lewis made the point that a
resolution relating to the foreign affairs
of the government was privileged, and
therefore he claimed the right to bring in
resolution relating to Cuba He stated
an array of presidents in support of his
contention. He said that Henry Clay
had raised the point in the House in 1922,
and it had been decided that the resolu-
ton, relating to foreign affairs, was
privileged. An examination has shown
that Henry Clay was not in Congress at
all in 1922 Nor does an examination of
other Congresses at about that time when
Clay was a member show any such prece-
dent. Mr.. Lewis also claimed that Web
ster in 1897 brought up the same point in
the House and that it was again ruled on.
An examination of the journal of that
Congress fails to show any such decision.
Finally Mr.. Lewis declared that in the
53rd Congress, Speaker Crisp had decided
that resolution relating to foreign
affairs was not privileged, and that the
House, under the lead of the Gentleman
from Maine" had overruled the chair. AS
matter of fact the resolution referred to
was entirely different and was presented
by Mr.. Boutelle as privileged matter
and when the Democrats made the point
that it was not privileged Mr.. Crisp sus-
tanned Mr.. Boutelle's contention that it
was privileged. 1t was at the time that
Mr.. Cleveland sent message reciting
what things the executive had done in re-
gard to Hawaii Mr.. Boutelle presented
a resolution reciting that whereas the
message just read showed that the prero-
gatiyes of the House were menaced by the
action Of the executive, therefore, ETC.
The point involving the privilege was the
assertion that the prerogatives of the
House were menaced. The fact that the
subject involved related to the foreign
affairs of the government had nothing
to do with the case. But Mr.. Lewis knew
that the resolution related to Hawaii,
and he knew that Hawaii was foreign.
Hence he concluded that resolution re-
lating to foreign affairs was privileged.
The resolution presented by Mr.. Lewis
did not pretend to allege an invasion of
the prerogatives of the House. 1t was
simply a vehicle for bringing the House
into discussion of the Cuban que stion.
But it was SO clumsy a vehicle that if