The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-18
COMMITTEE YIELDS POWER.
REPUBLICAN SENATOR'S WHO CON-
TROL LEGISLATION.

Even House Measures That Pass
/ Through This Will Bear the Senate
J Stamp.-Membcr of the Steering
Committee. Their characteristics
and How They Are Selected.
/ Washington, March l6.-This week the
Republican Steering Committee Of the
Senate has been I'm the public eye by rea-
/ son of the internal 1issensions in the Re
/ publican party over the Porto Rican ques-
( ton.
The functions Of the Steering Commit
| lee" are intended 10 be advisory and they
are supposed 10 outline a programme of
| legislation to be put forward in the Sem
! ate. As a matter Of fact the Steer ns
| Committee" is probably one of the most
powerful and influential tribunals existing
| to-day in the civilized world. Officially
this committee is known as The Com
mittee on the Order of Business in the
| Senate" 1t is composed of nine MEM
| bers selected al a caucus of the party in
! control of the Senate. The selections are
made by the chairman of the Caucus Com
mittee after consultation with his party
associates. Although geographical lines
mittee it is customary to have the various
sections of the country represented in
| that distinguished and potential political
council.
History will justify the assertion that
nearly all of the important legislation
| placed upon the statute books since the
| foundation of The government had its ORR
gin or final mobilization placed upon it in
| the Senate. The annual money bills of
| the government originate in the House, a
| do the tariff and financial measures and
also other national measures of equal inn
| portance. but they are amended and the
| finishing touches are put upon them in the
| Senate and it is not an eXaggeration to
| say that these national measures have
| usually a pronounced senatorial flavor to
| them by the tirne they come out of the
| legislative hopper and are laid before the
| President for final approval.
The Governing Power.
The traditions and customs of the Sen
| ate have invested the Steering Com
mittee," as it is Familiarity called, with
| such tremendous power and influence that
| il can be truthfully said that the Steer
| ing Committee" is, to a large extent, the
| governing power in the matter of legis-
| lation in the United States When the
| Democratic party is in power in the Sem
| ate the controlling power is transferred
| to the Democrats and they exercise func-
| tons similar to those of the Republicans.
| This may sound like an exaggerated or
| over-drawn assertion, but the records or
| Congress will amply sustain IL.
1t is true the DEGREES of the Steering
| Committee" are not always final On rare
| occasions the plans of the Steering Com
| mittee" have been overthrow by the
| caucus which created the committee. or
| sometimes the Senate may have insisted
| acting fba rafNOmme H.
| dations of the Steering Committee" and
| the caucus of the majority. These in
| stances, however, are very rare, for as
| general rule the party in power usually
accepts the Judgment of its Steering
| Committee as infallible and when party
| lines are closely drawn, backs up the &C
| ton of its committee with its votes.
|, The deliberations are conducted in
| strictly confidential manner without any
| ostentatious display or apparent assump-
| ton of authority The men selected for
| service on this great committee are sup
posed TO represent every element, every
| sentiment and every faction of the party
| in power The peculiar fitness of every
member is carefully weighed by the eau
| Gus before the names of the committee
are announced. Sometimes there is
| lively competition for assignment
on the Steering Committee as its all
powerful influence is recognized as SUI
| preme in Sena torial circles. The present
| committee Is composed of Senators Will
| lam B. Allison of Iowa, chairman, Nelson
! w. Aldrich of Rhode Island, Orville H.
| Platt of Connecticut Eugene Hale of
Maine, Steven B. Elkins of West Vir-
ginia, Marcus Hanna of Ohio. John c.
| Spooner of Wisconsin, Shelby NJ. CulloE
of Illinois, and George w. Mcbride of
Oregon
The Committees Chairman.
Senator Allison is rounding out thirty
| eight years of service in the National Con-
| gress, having been elected for five con-
| secutive terms in the Senate in addition
to four terms in the House of Representa-
| tives He is undoubtedly the most able
and conservative man in the Senate to.
day and he is admirably adapted to sit
at the head of the table of the Steer
! ing Committee" Although strict party
man, there is nothing emotional or sensa,
tional about William Allison, and under
most exciting conditions he invariably
maintains a calm reserve and superb self
| control which is sometimes the marvei
of his party associates. He is probably
one of the best types of the dignifed
United States Senator in active service to-
| day The seventy-one years which have
passed over his large brain-flled head
have dealt very generously with him His
| tall, well prODOrtioned figure, his spritell-
ness of gait and the scant sprinkling II
silver in his heir and beard would enable
/ MIN to pass muster as a much younger
man. While not an eloquent speaker he
IS an earnest talker, well fortified with
an immense stock of informa ton concern
ing public affairs gained by experience
and faithful service. In debate. he never
permits himself to lose his temper how
/ ever eXasperating his antagonist may be
In the warmost coEoquy his face
wears a cool. placid smile which often dis
arms his enemy and enables the incident,
I however exciting ii may be to close with
! out leaving sting upon either of the CON-
| batants. He is faultless dresser Fine
| qualify Of Prince Albert coat, dark trous-
ers. standing collar black necktie ana
! highly polished shoes Is his usual at ire
! Personally he is the most popular man in
| the Senate for it is often said. 'fAllison
! does not know how to give offense to a
| fellow man"
Aldrich Veteran Too.
Senator Aldrich like Senator Allison is
one of the veterans of the Senate as to