Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
BILLS COOKED IN COMMITTEE |
The Real Work Of Congress Done Behind
Closed Doors,
PROOF OF THE PUDDING IN PUBLIC
How the Mills of the Lawmakers
Grind on the Quiet but Very Eff
fectiveIy-POsitions OF Honor
without Hard work.

fcctiveIy-Positions OF Honor
without Hard work.
The we'll springs OF legislation in both
the senate and house, writes Congressman
Cummings in the Washington Post, are the
committees. There are over sixty commit
tees in the house alone The most impor-
tant meet every day until their task Is com
pleted. The work is heavy, Early in the
term they secure permission to sit while
the house Is in session Other less i'm
portant committees meet once or twice a
week, at specified times. The unlmportant
committees frequently never organize.
They are places of honor, but honor without
laboi. There are dozen or more commit
tees in the house that never have a bill or
resolution referred to them, yet the rooms
are fitted up at she beginning Of every term
and they have a full stationery account
subcommittee OF the leading committees of
both houses are in session whenever oppor-
tunity offers The public really knows Moth
ing or what occurs In committee sessions.
These sessions are strictly private II is
not in order TO even alude on the floor to
anything that has taken place in committed
Such have been the rulings OF different
speakers, although there is nothing in the
rules of the house itself TO forbid it.
AS early as 10 o'clock in the morning
prominent members wend their way to the
capitol They are due at the various ses-
sions OF the different committees Rarely,
however, is there a quorum at the time
specified for the meeting. The chairman is
usually punctual in attendance The prompt
members discuss the news of the day, gossip,
and retail "reminiscences until a quorum is
anti ly ILL.,.
out messenger in search of a quorum.
Then the business of the day begins The
chairman refers the business received from
the house to the different subcommittee.
The subcommittee, after patient investiga-
tion, make their reports to the full commit
tee- Parties interested in different bills are
usually given hearing by either the sub
committee or the full committee whenever
they desire it. In considering appropria-
tions bills, IL the committee desires infor-
nation on the estimates sent from the
Treasury department, they summon cabinet
officers, bureau chiefs, or any government
official who may be conversant with the
facts. Everything is run shp-shape and in
apple-pie order. At times heated discus
sions occur, and even personal encounters.
The chairman may feel it incumbent upon
himself to play the role of sergeant at arms
before quiet is restored.
Work or important committees Ia in
cessant and arduous. Days and even weeks
are sometimes spent in the examination of
documents and papers. Investigations
ordered by the house are usually sent to the
committee having charge of the subject
Months are frequently spent in such in
vestigations before the committee makes its
report to the house. This was the case in
the Fiftieth congress when an investigation
OF the public printing office was ordered,
Armor-plate speed premiums paid on ships,
the naval observatory, the coast and
geodetic survey and other matters have
also led to long and weary investigations.
Committee Room Anecdotes.
When the committees are not in session
their rooms frequently the rendezvous
of members beset by office seekers and
others in search of political grindstones. At
times whist party is formed, and cloud
lets of tobacco smoke circle toward the CELL
ing. In some of the rooms lunches are
served; indeed, the speaker has private
room reserved where he invariably takes
lunch and dictates to his stenographer. The
best stories are always retaled in COM
mittee rooms. The member who seeks an
escape from opportunities in these rooms,
however, Is not always SUCCESSFUL.
A good ancedote Is told of Leopold Morse
while a member OF the committee on naval
affairs. A circle of his friends had gathered
around him in the room and he had dis
tributed a few choice Havanas. He was
detailing an alluring reminiscence when the
door opened and tall constituent with an
Uncle Sam beard greeted the genial Boston
Mr.. Morse shook hands with
nd hu1Qat
He was evidently man with a past. He
began with a discursive review of life and
it's attendant miseries. Some of his children
were suffering with diphtheria and he de-
tailed the prescriptions of the physician
He had had bad luck in business and had
suffered by the Endorsement of a note
to accommodate a friend. He was
engaged In a lawsuit with an insurance
company, with a fair prospect of losing the
suit. Morse took him aside and listened
patiently for twenty minutes, while his
friends puffed their cigars and PASSED the
wink. They were anxiously awaiting sss
renewal of Morses "Reminiscences and Morse
was as anxiously awaiting an opportunity
% resume it's recital There seemed to be
no end to the constituents tale of woe. 1t
was dreary and weary. The congressman's
face lost its smile and grew stern. He
had evidently lost all patience. Throwing
back the lapel of his coat and showing his
hands into the lowest depths of his trousers
he exclaimed:
Thunder and lightning. Tor words TO
his effect) Come TO the point. What do
you want me to do? Out with IT, II can
lid you 1 will"
The constituent was dazed, but his face
showed no humiliation. He continued his
story, and had just entered upon a new
era of domestic affliction when Morse, in !
uitively divining his object as he thought,
pulled out a 500 note and handed it to him,
saying, God bless you 1t was the solv
ng OF the enigma Morse shook the man
warmly by the hand and the constituent
bowed himself out. The social circle burst !
nto laughter, and Leopold continued the !
llluring reminiscence. 1t turned out that |
he constituent was a rural friend of Lever !
ut Saltonstall, VINO was looking for place !
lnder the Cleveland administration.
MIR. Hits First Committee.
A good story Is also told OF Hon. Robert |
3. Hit of Illinois, now chairman of the |
committee Oh foreign affairs, and one of the /
Imerican commissioners sent to Hawaii He 1
vas the stenographer who reported so accu-