The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-25
YHESPEAKERO OF THE HOUSE
CUIRaCTERTsTICS or avn BkEM-
yER HENDERSON or IOWA.

Mammalian. How lie Was chosen
speaker An Ardent R'pubiic""' h''
Regarded Highly by the Democrats HIS
Homo Life -Uncon,.ntiona ANA f"'r'
WASHINGTON, March 10 Since the lerisla-
tive system OF tho United States came into eN.
i,tsnce III rty- five men have boon Speaker OF
the House OF Representatives. Some have
been great men. others mediocre. ana n lew
eyen worse than that. II may be that u Few at
leas, have been venal; II would be strange II
the truth,were otherwise. Tor the Speakers IN
fueuce over legislation. greater OF course IN
these modern days Of the trlumvlrath teehnl-
cally known as the Committee on Rules. II
practically paramount. When former Speak
ars who have been charged with exercising un-
Justly and tyranically the prerogatives OF their
high Office. replied that their conduct was ut
al tines subject to the will OF the House
expressed by a majority vote. they stated. OF
course. a fact. But the holding Of power and
the opportunity Of exercising II are two en-
tirely different matters. and Whatever the
theory Is the fact remains that the Speaker OF
the House Of Representatives ana the Commtt-
tee on Rules. OF which he Is eN ofiicio the chair-
man. control with al iron hand and with dog
ged pertinacity the programme Of formulative
legislation. Moreover. the Speaker is in him
seli the Committee on Rules. and the Commit
tee on Rules is the House. and its plans are
only questioned and opposed when some indie
pendent spiIt. such as the now Der from
Maine In the present Congress, daros 10 run
counter 10 the committees wishes. Under the
existing code no legislation can be discussed
unless the Committee on Rules first adopts an
order providing for its considerations on a cer-
tain day. and while It Ia true that the House
repeatedly demands and obtains more than the
committee ia inclined to give. it is none the
less true that tho orders OF the triumvirate are
~ a general thing executed.
What manner OF man is he who In these
strenuous days " legislation growing out ~
the serious problems following in tn" wake Of
war and conquest has the power OF creating
not only the all powerful Committee on Rules,
but as well all the other committees Of tina
House to whom Is confded the solemn trust Of
lcgis'ating for $4,000. 600 OF people aud several
millions more. who. as a matter o. choice or
necessity. are about to become their fellow
countrymen? What manner Of man Is he who
holds the gavel once welded by n Clay. a
Hunter, a Winthrop. a Cobb. n Banks, n Grow, a
Coltax. a Blaine. a Randall. a Carlisle. a Crisp
and a Reed What are his abilities, his pttnin-
ments. his characteristics and his personal ar-
pearance? In short, what kind Of a man IA
David Bremner Henderson Of Iowa and how
does he measure up TO his high office OF
Speaker Of the House Of Representative?
In the first place. he is not altogether the
same Jolly. impuls,ve. emotional, enthusiastic,
fearless Dave" Henderson who had served IN
the ranks 50 Loyalty since coming TO the Forty
eighth Congress after having been a school
boy. a student. a soldier and a lawyer. He was
born Ia Deer. Scotland in 1910, was brought
BY his parents to Illinois in 1886 and to Iowa
IN lS4a. He waa chosen as his party's candi-
date for Speaker in the most novel manner
known to the history OF politics and ofice-get-
ting. Six months before the Republican eau
Gus met to nominate the candidate Col. Hem
derson had received. almost voluntarily. the
pledges Of more than a sufficient number Of
votes as a result Of the wild-nre rush OF
the belated advocates Of other candidates
10 announce their allegiance to the man
who gave indications OF being a winner, See
irg the handwriting on the wall the other ran
didates hastily withdrew and joined the Hen
derson standard In the hope Of receiving their
reward when the committees were made up.
so when the nominating caucus. composed in
large measure Of men who had never seen
Col. Henderson or each other. met. he was nom
mated by reclamation. and II he had been called
upon 10 explain how it all happened candor
would have compelled the reply that he did not
know himself. No previous Speaker was ever
chosen in such fashion. and it il quite probable
that future candidates will profit by the lesson
and keep more clearly in mind the truth Of tho
oil adage that the early bird catches the
worm"
In some respects. Col. Henderson Is the same
man that he was before greatness was so sud
denly thrust upon him. but in other ways he
has changed. whether for better or worse de-
ponds largely upon the point Of view. An
assumption OF dignity when performing the
duties OF his Office Is about the only outward
slgn OF the restrictions OF the executive powpr
upon a heretofore free and independent spir t.
and even this is not always apparent. The
rollicking nature cannot be at all times sup
pressed. but must occasionally assert itself
even in the performance Of his Official func-
lions. The marked. IL fttul. change in
Col. Henderson's dameanor. first became
noticeable the day he was first sworn in
a. Speaker of the House OF Representa-
tives OF the Fiity-sixth Congress-. As he
walked firmly down the centre aisle OF the
cham Der. a cane assisting the artificial
leg that has taken the place OF the one left
upon the battlefield. his form erect. his IRON
gray hair tossed back from his high forehead
and his blue eye fearlessly gazing a. The flag
above the Speakers rostrum. those who
watched him closely detected an assumption ~
dignity which became more apparent a. the
now speaker delivered his BRIEF inaugural.
His voice was a trii'c HUSKY and his expression
was serious. No, a smile crossed his features
and not the semblancs ot humor crept into his
remarks. Evidently he was in solemn MOOD.
and as an old friend. who watched him closely.
said. 1T was probably for the first time in his
life" Speaker Henderson has not. however.
been digniaed and solemn at all times since
that day. With a proper appreciation oi
the obligations OF his Office he yet
becomes his old self occasionally. as was
shown a few weeks ago in the party
caucus called to secure harmony among the
herceIy contending factions on the Puerto
Rican question. There seemed 10 be- little or
no hope OF harm onizing the factions In the
House. The change OF front on the question
OF free trade for the island had caused much
I'll feeling, and il locked ut one time very much
Is II the bill brought into the House 10y the Re-
publicans through their ostensible leader. Se-
reno {. Payne. chairman Of tina Ways and
Means Committee, would be defeated. II was
the only serious revolt against party leader
ship that had occurred since Henderson was
made Speaker. llr. Payne had lost contro, NJ
the situation by his vaciilating policy. and his
cham pionship OF a bill placing a schedule Of tar
if rates was naturally made somewhat ridicu.
lous by the fact that h. had introduced a bill for
free trade and backed IL m by a rcuort in It's
favor. Soacaucus was called and the party whip