The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-20
I'LL!
Reed in the Gap.


Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON. June 19-The man
in the gap is still here, solid, stern
and unyielding. He fills the eyes of
the nation as completely as if he were
genie fresh from the sea. The smoke
is still ascending from the little jar
of yellow copper, 1t lies upon the
sand, it's leaden cap kissed by the
surf, while the fisherman who has
dragged it ashore is paralyzed with
fear and establishment
1t is genie that overshadows legls-
lation in Washington. It has awaken
ed Indignation in both houses of con-
gress. In the house of representatives
the indignation is confined to the
minority, but in the senate it has in
cluded prominent members of both the
minority and the majority. If it reaches
the majority Of the house it may be-
come CONSERVATION. The cauStic re-
marks of Senator Hoar, Of Massachu-
sets, are tame in comparison with the
illumination of Senator Morgan, of
Alabama. Morgan is a recognized con-
stitutOnal lawyer. He was the leading
American representative in the dispute
with Great Britain concerning our in
terests in Boring sea! His assertion
that the action Of a quorumless house
in adjourning three days is uncOnsti-
tutional is attracting attention. l.
complexities the situation if the tariff
bill must land in the United States
supreme court after&a long and fatuous
career in the house and senate. 1t
threatens to prolOng the era of uncer-
tainty, and to make more stagnant the
stagnation now prevalent in business
circles.
But the man in the gap is not dis
turbed He plies the gavel unmoved
and unruff1ed. The hearts of some of
his supporters may beat quickly in
view of the threatening aspect of af-
fairs. but the lieutenants in the COM
mittee on rules and those. Of the ways
and means committee show no signs of
trepidat ton They do their work bold
ly and unfiinchingly. Others, like Gen.
Grosvenor, of Ohio, roar defiantly,
while the cool and cautious Dingley is
gathering in the. tangled mesheS or
his tariff bill, confident that ne will
triumph in the end. To others the
clouds may look threatening, but ne
seems to regard them as set for theatT1-
cal effect, bearing neither tempest nor
WhirlWind.
Meantime Jerry Simpson is steadily
assaulting the man in the gap. Ii Is
a careful and wary assault, with a
definite object in view. rms opJect IS
not the mere annoyance OF the speaker,
although to some it might appear SO.
Jerry is reaching for something beyond
this. He is a genuine political mata-
dor. If the speaker should lose MS
aplomb and traverse one OF ms own
decisions, Jerry's object would De at
tanned He is honest and sincere. with
both feet planted upon the constitution
Of the United States, he beheVeS th3t
he is fighting not only for his own
rights. but for the rights of the house.
It seems singular that great neWSpa-
pers should ridicule him. Their actions
seem to be based upon the spirit that
animates passengers in a morse car
who laugh and badger one Of their own
number who protests against an IN
fringement Of his rights by an en-
ploye.
Representative Simpsons first move
was to protest against the delay IN the
anpointment of the committees OF the
! house. 1t was something unprecedent-
ed. he said, and entirely unnecessary.
| Thousands of bills remained in the
hands of the clerk. There were no
committees to consider them. Occa-
sionally the committee on rules took
measures OF pressing Importance unto
themselves with secrecy and dlSpatch,
and ran them through the house under
a special order. Jerry's plea was that
such action was violation or the spirit
Of the constitution, and OF the rlghtS
OF the members. The man at the gap
listened, but received this assault with
i1nperturbabl gravity. He calmly OBJ
served that the house had it in its
power at any time to order the appoint
ment of the committees, and suggested
that the gentleman from Kansas offer
a resolution to such effect. Sagac1ous
Jerry became more than wary. lie
cCntented himself with protest and
subsidized Then came a Simoom from
the Pacific coast that blasted all his
hopes Mr. Lewis, of Washington.
offered the very resolution that the
speaker had suggested. Gov. Dlngley
promptly moved to table it and it was
tabled. The man in the gap was trium-
plant The house by a decisive ma
jority had practically voted against the
appointment of the committees.
Jerry's next assault was based upon
the APPROVAL of the journal, or, in par
liamentary parlance, the approval Of
the minutes of the last meeting. The
minutes" contained the titles of bills
introduced at the previous session OF
the house, and recorded them as hav-
ing been referred to fifty OdO commit
tees. Mr. Simpson pointed out a pri-
vate pension bill. 1t was recorded in
the journal as referred to the COM
mittee on invalid pensions. AS no such
committee had been appointed, he held
| that the record was wrong. The man
| at the gap again smiled and submit
ted the question to the house, which
by a majority vote decided that the
| journal was correct.
Ac n nn1itioa1 % IN dor Terry Sim N
is simply unrivaled With a picador
as we'll skilled, the Fkjeet of his attack,
if provoked to Wild rush. might re-
ceive a coup de grace Mr.. Lewis is
not a picador. JerrNjs friends look
upon him as chul8, who annoys Jerry
| far more than he hurts the enemy
Jerry's third attack however, developed
picador in lengthy Jim Richardson,
of Tennessee. Mr.. Richardson is such