Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-02-22
POW Ek FTHESPEAKER
lie Is the Court Of Final Resort
In the House.
UNDER THE RULE OF HENDERSON.
More Freedom Prevails Than when
Mr.. Reed Presidcd--ChnnGc In De-
A Question of Social Precedence.


memorable lis No Longer "Dave."
A Question of Social Precedence.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 17.-tSpecial i
Speaker Henderson has not inaugural
ed many new reforms in the house. and
the body is not conducted materially
different from the way it was under
Speaker Reed and Speaker Crisp. Be
yond all question the speaker must
run the house'-that is, he must be
the absolute power, the court of final
resort. have observed, and so have
members of the house, that there is
more liberty, or, rather, more swing"
accorded to members than heretofore,
but ut the same time when it comes
to questions of bUuse government and
to matters 81 policy General 1en0cr-
son has the last say" and his decision
is final. This must, in the very nature
of things, he the case. The speaker is
clothed with great power. and the Re
publcans, when they nominated Cen
eral Henderson. did not humiliate him
by granting him less than they had
given AIR. Reed, but they felt assured
any such iron will. even against a ma
jority. as was exercised by Mr.. Reed.
In this General Henderson was regard
ed in the same light as was Speaker
Crisp Ivy his party. Crisp was given as
much power as Reed, but he did not
use it in quite such an arbitrary or an
authoritative manner
Has 1t Changed Him:
That is a question sometimes asked
regarding General Henderson. Well.
of course it has. A man cannot hold
the second highest place in the govern
ment and not be changed to some eX-
. tent. William Mckinley is not quite
the same as when we knew him as a
member of the house. He is not now
representative of a congressional dis
trict, but president of A states and
ruler over several territories and
large number of islands in the two
seas. He is not so much in the glare
, and public view as the speaker. His
official acts are not performed in pub
lie rs are those of the speaker. with
: 3j7 members of congress in front Of
him. galleries filed with interested on
lockers and, still more. with n press
: gallery hanging over him filled with
men in touch with every part of the
country. The president naturally he.
, comes more reserved more out of
, view. than other officials of the gov
eminent. and especially the second
most powerful officer in the govern
: ment, the speaker Of the house Of rep
I'll ~
sponsibilitv which speaker assumes
changes him No man can handle the
vast amount of business which the Of
g fee of speaker brings with it without
/ becoming reserved and changing in
9 other respects to. some extent. and
( Speaker Henderson has gone through
n this change.
No Longer "Dnve."
For instance. the speaker is not IA
= miliarly called Dave" as many men,
= bers of congress had called him in
: years gone by. He Is "NTr. Speaker"
e now This is correct. We all remer7-
@ Der when we heard members of con-
e gress referring TO certain Ohio repre-
. sentative as Mack" They call him
& "Mr President now. | suppose that
:, some of the very intimate friends Of
7 the speaker sometimes break over de-
o corum ana call him Dave" but it
" does not happen often. He is some
v times addressed as General" the
h hrcvet he earned as gallant Union
soldier, but for the most part he is
r. known by his official title, even among
II those who formerly called him by the
: familiar Dave" can imagine,
-, though, that an earnest member plead
n ing for recognition for some bill might
}. break through the reserve which has
Is restrained him and say, "Now, Dave
! want this and must have it," and the
y probabilities are that the speaker
he would overlook the lapse from official
4 courtesy.
Social Controversy.
l. Just now the Washington papers
N have considerable to say about the
A. question of social precedence as be
r. tween the president Of the senate and
the speaker of the house. I don't sup
pose that either Senator Frye, the sen
ates president pro tcmpOre. or Speaker
-, Henderson cares II sou about the mat
a ter. Neither is much in the social line
~ but neither would care to have his 9TH
n cial position made inferior to what i
lc should be. Both are good position:
u. and come pretty close to the presiden
in all social functions, and 1t has only
~ been the busy little social flies buzzinl
10 about Washington who have concerne,
themselves in tie matter. What differ
lr encc does ii make to the people of tn,
t. country whether the senator from
r. Maine or the representative from low;
g go out to dinner first? These are ques
&c tons for major domo of the socia
=, world to wrestle with.
IN The One Great Change.
n Members of the house tell me tina
rs there is one great change in the ofiic
IN of speaker that is very agreeable t.
et them. They feel that when a ma jort,
!! wants to get Il measure through tn
La houS" there will be no arbitrary oppo
he siton. For instance, the friends o
e. the Nicaragua canal bill have not tn
least doubt about securing considera
ton for that bill. Frank Eddy of MIN
nesota and Dennis Flynn Of Oklahom
~ are sure that their free homes bills wi
be given considera ton at this session
- something that was denied in the las
session because they did not meet tn