The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-11
Senator'S Do Not Like Mr..
HObart'S Remark.
Said He Would Cooperate to
Expedite Business.
Traditions Of a Dignified Body
Senatorial Courtesy.

1
| Vice President Hobart did not make a very
| good start as presiding officer Of the SEN
ate, In the opinion of the members of that
body. The older senators have taken ex.
ceptions TO the intimation which no gave
In his inaugural address that ho would be
glad 10 cooperate with senators in expedit
ing the proceedings Of the upper branch.
While the country appears TO bc applauding
the courage OF the new vice president and
10 be ready To support him in any efforts
which he may make for changing the rules
OF the senate SO as to secure "a more bust
nesslike method In that body, many of the
Republican senators who wish Mr.. Hobart
well are quietly advising him to drop the
idea and never again suggest, by word oi
deed, that he considers himself u man OF
influence In the American house OF lords
Made . Faux Pas.
The truth Is that Vice President Hobart.
In making that suggestion in his inaugu
raj address, ran straight into collision with
one OF the Oldest and dearest of all the
traditions OF the senate This Is that the
vice president is merely the moderator, the
fgurehcad. He Is not considered even a
member OF the senate. He is To have moth
ing whatever to do with its policies OF its
rules He Is To hold himself absolutely
aloof from the politics of the chamber and
to maintain the most perfect impartiality.
The occasions on which vice president IL
expected TO cast the deciding vote In cas-.
OF tie, as he Is empowered 10 do by the
constitution, have become very rare in re
cent years. and there Is a sort of unwritten
law in the senate that the casting Of such
vote is TO be avoided whenever possible
Men who are new to the senate have nt
Idea Of the force which these old traditions
exerts over its members They arc really
something terrible With most of the
older senators devotion TO these unwritte
laws has become a sort of religion. Every
new man that comes to the chamber il
taken in hand and coached. Delicate hints
are thrown out to him ms to what his
obligations are. He is given TO understand
that the unwritten rules of the senate ar,
of infinitely greater Importance than its
written rules, and that the man who dis
regards the former simply because they are
In the air and not in plain black and white
will have to do so at the peril of loss oI
caste, of standing and of influence. There
Is more truth than poetry i'm these warn
ings too. 1t really is true that the man
who sets out in the upper branch of con
gress to follow his natural bent under tn,
written rules, regardless of the musty old
traditions, will soon find himself ostracized
and solitary.
Discipline.
in hundred ways he will he made to
feel the force of the fetch. He will be ig
nored in the cloakrooms. When he takes
the floor TO speak, no one will listen or pay
him the compliment of interrupting him
He will be left alone at luncheon. In com
that what he says and thinks is not of tn,
slightest Importance After he has beeL
put through a course of sprouts of thh
sort-all done by tacit understanding and
not by any formal agreement-some of ths
older senators will take him aside and
whisper confldentially in his ear that he il
on the wrong tack. BY this time he will
have concluded that this Is so and gener
ally be found willing enough to mend his
ways and bow the knee to senatorial tradi
tions.
have seen more than one bold, brainy
man come into the senate determined Il
change the rules or to ignore some of the
peculiar traditions and mark out path
way for himself. Not one of them ever
sticks to it, There was Senator Hill. Nc
one doubts his courage or ability. He was
going TO reform tho rules of the senate
He caused IL to become known of all mel
when he first came to Washington that be
fore his term expired the senate would be
put upon N common sense, business basis
He meant it too. He set to work to carry
out his purpose But Mr.. Hill walked out
of the senate chamber the other day after
six years of service, and the rules have not
been changed so much as the dotting of an
or the crossing of 1t.
Senator Tillman was going to "shakt
up' the senate He was going TO call o
spade spade and was going to expose tht
true inwardness of things, no matter whoss
toes were trod upon in the process He
began that way In speech which violated
the amenities of debate and the sacred ira
ditions of the senate. Then he learned the
error of his ways and for year kept ri
lent Nothing more of that sort was hearo
from his lips till just a few days before the
close Of the last congress, when he lost his
temper i'm coiloquy with Senator Hawlcy
and used words which he was sorry for al
most as soon as they had been uttered.
The senate Rules.
The truth Is that the senate Is ruled by |
small number of men who are all sticklcr |
for these colirtesies and unwritten rules. |
They regard the senate chamber as a great |
national clubroom in which every member |
must bow the knee To the prevailing senti |
ment IL he docs not, so much the worse |
for him. AS rule, the new man whit |
comes in determined to shake things M |
changes his views and his tone in year OF |
two and becomes one of the stAnchcst ad |
vocates of the old idea. IL Is therefore cas-, |
TO sec that Vice President Hobart offended |
n majority Of the senators with his bold |
announcement that he was willing Co co |
operate in cxpcditing business.
when he uttered those words, perhaps |
four -ffths Of the senator's present said tc
themselves. "1hc new vice president has
lesson 20 learn, and we shall sec that he
does not lack for tutors. y He will not. |
He will he taken In hands in hand al
ready. He is in leading strings Allison
and Aldrich and Chandler and other lead.
ers have him in tow They will take all |
these revolutionary idcas out Of him. They
will convince him I'm the first place that
the business Of the senate Is something
with which no has nothing 20 do. He Is
simply TO preside. put motions and defer to