The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-24
QUESTION OF PRECEDENCE.
a Society Problem In which senator
Frye and Speaker Henderson Are
Principals.
sxpHnAL TO TEE rRKss.I

Washington, March 90 "A 60 cd hu'
morsd but interesting controversy Is 60
ing on between the Hon. william y. Frye,
president pro tempors OF the Senate, and
the Hon. David b. Henderson, Speaker
Of the House. The controversy is not at
all personal, but relates 70 tbs social pre-
negatives Of their Offices. Not long ago
at a state dinner Mt the white House,
when the hour came for the guests to go
TO the table, the President, who leads the
way, offered his arm TO Mrs. Frye, there
by designating her husband as having
social precedence over the Speaker of the
House. who was present
Tbs Presidsnt's action, which seems to
have been thoughtless rather than studied,
opened mp one of she historic contro-
VERSES Of Washington social life. And
the question is not only social, but
political as well. At . capital city social
prestige IL inevitably associated with
political influence and dignity.
II the Speaker of the House, on social
and public occasions, comes in at the end
of long line of dignitaries, what will
the public opinion be as to the import
ancs OF the Bouse itself, the only and
mighty representative Of all the people Of
the United StatesY
In the very first years Of this century,
about 1903, q great Speaker Of the HOUSE,
Nathaniel Macon of Georgia. found that
he had tsen assigned plaos behind the
ca binet In q procession. Now Nathaniel
Macon was personally one Of the most
modest aud unassuminR of men. Left to
himself he WAS ready to take the last
place and the lowest seat anywhere. !"
said Thomas ii. Benton in his Thirty
Years. View. But when IL was question
of the prerogatives Of his office and OF
the House which he represented, Mr.. Ma
con was q lion. On this occasion he dis
regarded the programme and as the
select of the elect of all the people took
his place uext after those whom the ma
tional vote had elected"
This view of Speaker Macon has been
very generally upheld by his successors.
When Mrs. Madeleine Vinton DAhlgrsn
published her book on Washington Eth
quette about twenty years ago she OBJ
tained from ex-Speaker Robert @. Win.
throp of Massachusetts, his view Of this
question. In reply Mr.. Winthrop wrote:
"On being elected Speaker In ls47 oon-
suited John Quincy Adams, then mem
Der OF the House and the consequences
was that l felt bound - call FIRST only
on the President and Vios President. /
believe made an exception In favor Of
Chief Justice fancy, but only as a matter
Of grace. There cannot be a doubt that
the President, Vice President. and
Speaker stand bsfors all others as the
representatives of the executive and legis-
lative branches. l remember how earnest
ly this was enforced upon Us BY Colonel
Benton, a great sticker for etiqustte, and
who said to rue on one occasion. 'you
msy be as modest az you please In regard
to any matter personal to yourself, but
you have no right to waive the priority
your position and the dignity of tho
House of Representatives. Every cody
called on me first accordingly, except the
President and Vice President"
The question has Risen very often since
When Mr.. Reed was speaker there was
an attempt to put the cabinet officers
ahead OF hin. He said that personally the
IN after was I'm material to him; but that
he did not intend that the office of Speak
er should loss any OF Its importance
while ic his keeping. The leaders of the
House applsuded and sustained i'm In
this position.
At the ceremonies ct the Grant tomb
during Dir. Reeds spsakerBh!p his oarri-
age was placed behind those of the SEN
ats. He did not CHOSE to make unplsAs-
antness on such an occasion by leaving
the procession, but he afterwards pro-
tested to the committee on arrangements.
Speaker Henderson takes the or ound
that his prepecsfsors have taken. BE does
not intend to acquissce in any diminution
of the prerogatlves of the office.
1t is understood that Senator Eye does
not take great interest In the question,
since 1t Is only rarely that q President
pro tempore of the Senate is left at the
head OF the Senate by the death of the
Vice President But as the President
has. whether inadvertently or not, given
the distinction to his Office, he Of course
must not yield It
As the matter stands at present 1t
seems that the Speaker can only protest
against the precedent, and wait for the
President to undo what he has done in
regard to the House. The House would
not approve of the Speakers act II he
should aooede to any arrangement lower
ing to the dignity of the Office. 1t is safe
to say that Mr.. Henderson, will stand by
the dignity Of the position.