The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-03
Importance of the speakership.

Importance of the Speakership.
In the course of an article upon the
canvass for the speakership of the next
congress the esteemed Philadelphia
Ledger remarks as follows:
# is unfortunate that sectionalsm
should have arisen In connection WIN
the spcakership. but in certain quarters
the more prcposterous demand Is heard
that no man should be chosen speaker
of the house who is not pledged to sup
port the administration and all us
works. If the speakers duties and rune
tious were similar to those OF a Cablhet
officer, who Is the personal appointee OF
the president. member a ms othcial
family a confidential adviser and admin
istrator. chosen largely on personal
grounds, dismssible at will and ac-
countabe 10 the executive, there would
he some reason for eXacting from nm
the promise to follow the lead Of the ad-
mnistration. a cabinet officer must re
sppCt the wishes of the president or re-
sign, but the speaker OF the house OF
representatives stands on far different
ground. He is in the first place as a
congressman, n representative of his
constituents, and secordly. as speaker,
chosen by the representatives of tha
whole people of the land he represents
, all the citizens Of the United States. lie
is the head of the popular branch of
| the legislative power Of the nation. The
constitution has clothed him with cXtcn-
sivc powers. which make him the second
man in the government. He is able, by
| reason of his position and functions TO
| guide, forward. block or kill legislation,
! His powers are enormous; his response
| blitiCS are Just as great and 1t is hardly
| necessary to say that he is responsible
| L. yl,x 1,ft
and. in "A broader sense, is just as much
| accountable to the people for his con-
duct as is the president No honorable
| man who has regard to his oath and his
| obligations TO his country would pledge
| himself to become mere clerk to regis
| tor any administrations policies, and
| thus do all in his power TO make the
| Legislative branch subservient to the
| executive. This government is one of
| checks and balances. ard its admirable
| qualities depend upon preserving both in
| their letter and spirit, the safeguards
| provided by the constitution.
In theory much which our contem-
porary here says is true; but it's state
ment omits to consider certain practi-
! cal conditions which cannot safely be
| disregarded by those entrusted with
| official responsibility. In the first
| place, when an executive task of great
magnitude has to be performed, along
| lines fashioned by congress. it is
| proper that the executive upon whom
| will rest the praise or blame for the
| doing OF this task should have an ad-
| visory voice in the framing of the un-
| derlying legislation. Congress may
| 10 in,
| terpretation Of the constitutions to di-
| rect the president to attempt impossi-
| bilities; but congress would not be
| justified in using this power simply
to show it's spirit of independence. At
the existing time. when great problems
| the best wisdom Of all men in public
| life, would the Ledger desire to have
| i'm the office of speaker a man out of
! sympathy with the presidents views
and ready to use his great power rath-
er to obstruct and to complicate than
To forward the public business?
To say that the speaker is "responsi-
ble to the house" is true; but the best
| time for the house to make him realize
| that responsibility is before it's elects
| him. Men have been known to reach
the office OF speaker who aftcrward
| took good care that nothing short Of
! an earthquake should cause them 10
| discover their responsibility. 1t has
never been proposed, nor would any
| man tit for the speakership for an in
! stant consider the idea, to bind the
speaker over by pledge to become a
mere clerk to the president But be-
| tween this extreme view and the other
view Of the speakership as the abso-
| Lutte property of its occupant for the
furtherance of his personal opinions
there is a medal position which com.
mon sense should locate and pre-empt
At the present time. the administra-
tion, which means the Republican
party representing a large majority OF
the voters of the nation, has before o.,
certain very important and complicated
tasks, To enable it to go through with
these tasks creditably and expeditions.
ly the president must not pull one way
and the speaker another; both mus
by mutual conference and free parlia'
ment among their friends and associ,
ates find out what should be done anC
then pull together i'm doing it. This
is all there is to the demand which
gives the Philadelphia Ledger so mucf
alarm-the demand for the elevation
of no man to the speakership who il
not known in advance to be ON friendly
terms and in personal accord will
the leaders of his party and, chic
among these, the president of the Unit
ed States
: The thing for Chief Walker to do Il
to prove by his actions that Council
/ man Roche's portrait was incorrect.