The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-01-04
HOW LEADERS GONE
Congressman Cummings De-
ScribeS the Process.
NEITHER BORN NOR MADE
But Get to the Top of the
Pack in the Shuttle.
NEITHER BORN NOR MADE


sixth Congress is being prematurely raised.
| That Congress will probably not meet I'M
! til the first Mondey in December, 1899. The
caucus will select a candidate for Speaker,
| and not a leader of the minority. If the
| candidate for Speaker has the qualities for
! leadership, so much the better. He Will
be universally recognized as a leader, and
will be obeyed without caucus or other
formalities. If he has not the qualities OF
leadership, the situation will disclose
leader. OF course, he may be hampered
by the aspirations of the ex-candidate for
Speaker who may be favored in many
WAYS by the Speaker elected by the ma
jority. But the rank and file-the soldiers
who never shrink from the picket line or
finch in the bayonet charge-will follow
the real leader, regardless fwho may
wear the starry collar.
Leaders are born-not made. Thew as
sert themselves, and are not the creation
of others. Thomas B. Reed was he real
Republican leader on the floor long be-
fore ne was ever selected as a candidate
for Speaker. His towering personality, his
political effrontery, his prompt action and
to whom all his colleagues ANONYMOUSLY
turned whenever a political crisis was at
hand. No one ever questioned his judg-
ment; all followed him, not only willingly.
but eagerly. In the contests with Speaker
Carlisle on the parliamentary questions, or
on questions Of policy, when a vote was
about 10 be taken, Reed would rise and
look around him, and an instant every
member of his party would stand up or sit
down. at the wave Of his hand There
was no laggering; il was an animated ma
chine, perfect in all its parts, and never
out of order The fact that Reed was
born leader made him a candidate for
Speaker. Even in the Speakers chair he
is still the leader of his party in the House.
Major Mckinley was his first lieutenant
in the Fifty-first Congress, the same as
Governor Dingley has been his lieutenant
in the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-ffth Con-
madegresses. It requires rare nerve and
exquisite finesse for the Speaker to lead
his party while occupying the chair, but
Mr.. Reed has shown himself capable of
accomplishing IT, Those who have close
" watched the proceedings Of the House
know how deity his has been done when
his Ieutenants were unwary and off their
guard.
The greatest Democratic leader in the
House for 50 years was Charles F. Crisp,
of Georgia. He developed, and was not
made Had he not demonstrated his ca
pacity for leadership, the same as
Thomas B. Reed. he could not have been
selected as the Democratic candidate for
Speaker. The whole power of he Admin
istration was arrayed against him. There
were Cabinet officers in the Fifty-ffrst
Congress, where Thomas B. Reed had in
augUrated a new sustem of parliamentary
rule. was so magnificent that nothing
could overcome it when It became factor
in the selection of a candidate for Speaker.
After as bitter a struggle as had been
known in years, Mr.. Crisp became the
Speaker Of the House. It was the de-
velopment Of his capacity as a leader
that made him the candidate, and he re-
manned the leader after his election as
Speaker. So we see that leaders may be-
come candidates for Speaker; but candi-
dates for Speaker do not necessarily be-
come leaders.
No man can become a leader OF the
House who is nc4 always on the floor
watching the proceedings. There are
sometimes a dozen committees in author
lied session while the house itself is in
session. The members of these commit
tees are unable to attend many of the
sessions of the House. They are absent
on committee work, and are not always
called in when important votes are being
taken. They sacrifice themselves to their
duties in committee. Among these are
the members of the Committee on APP
preparations. on ways and Means, on Elec-
tons, on Rivers and Harbors. on Mill
tary affairs. and others. These are the
important committees of the House. They
are the cooks who prepare the legislative
broth. Their members appear in evidence
only when their work is befor the House.
They frequently suffer in the estimation
of their own constituents because the Re
cord gives no surface indications of their
presence in the House.
Such was the case of Representative
Dayton. of West Virginia. a valued mem
Der Of the Committee on Naval Affairs.
/ He mad a hard fight at the last election.
/ The Congressional Record was put in evil
! dence against him. It did not prove him
10 be an active participant every day in
the proceedings of the House. The in
! ference was that he was absent from the
/ session. and not attending TO mis- duties.
/ The truth was that he was one OF the
/ most Dainstal1ing and active members Of
/ the Committee on Naval Affairs. working
harder and FAR more industri5usly than
/ those who remained upon the floor partici-
! pa-i0E in discussion and answering to their
| names a roll call. Work on the Naval
! Committee at that time, when the war
was on. meant work Of vital interest 10
| the nation.
The Giadvantace attending such com
mitee work vas evidently quickly seen by
! Judge De Almond. Of Missouri. one OF
! the readiest and ablest debaters on the
/ flora man who has rapidly forged 10
the front and who. by many. is regarded
! as a Democratic leader. He was appoint
ed a member OF the Committee on Naval
Affairs. When he found that its duties
required his absence from the House While
| in session. ne asked 10 De relieved from
/ service on this committee. BY his absence
[ in committee ne lost the thread Of le-sS-
lat.on in The House. and could not follow
/ and thoroughly understand its proceedings.
( Possibly he preferred IL remain IN the
arena 10 watch the struggles over Legs
I la-ion, believing that he could be Of Tar
more service 10 his constituents there than
/ than in work on the Naval Committee.
I Al al events. Ike his distinguished COL
league, Mr. Bland. he : always present II
the sessions Of the House II able 90 al
tend them. lie watches It's PROCEEDINGS
with more than ordinary interest. and is
ever ready 20 participate IN them. In
this respect he is much Ike Crisp. He
has already developed his capacity fer
leadership. and il may make him he
Democratic candidate Tor Speaker = Tie