Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-22

Staff Officers WHO May Safely DO In
trusted With the Gavol Interesting
CIint fYcn tho Fen OF Mr.. Cummings.
fCopyright. 1900. by Amos ]. Cummlngs.)
Here is a stub-and-twist statesman.
He is standing in the lower hail of the
south wing Of the Capitol awaiting the
arrival OF the elevator from the CORR
= dor OF the House of Representatives.
He might be mistaken for Sir Charles
Mitchell, the celebrated son-in-law OF
s Pony Moore, of London. Stub-and twist
4 is the figure; yet classic. lie looks like
one fresh from the Olympic games-one
familiar with the cestus. In face, fea-
tGre and manner he is Mitchell. He
/ lacks Mitchelrs muscular development,
but he has the shoulders of an athlete,
and tapers to his feet. lie is we'll
known in the House. lie is an active
participant in discussion, and speak
= er of more than ordinary ability. He
freuuents the Congressional Library,
sdclving in this intellectual mine as
< Senator John p. Jones formerly delved
In the ComstoclS Lode. His friends last
spring put him forward as candidate
for Speaker of the House, but he fell
victim to the sickle of Gen. Henderson.
4 To-day he is assistant speaker of the
House of Representatives, where he
S gpresides with praiseworthy skill. He is
the successor OF Gen. William Cogs
well. who represented the district made
famous by the burning of the Salem
witches. 1t is district remarkable
for its intellectual products. John G.
Whittier, Nathaniel Hawthorne, VIII
liam H. Prescott. and e. z. Whipple
were born within its boundaries.
This gentleman is technically the re-
Z preventative of one-thrteenth of the
3 Commonwealth of Massachusetts; but.
like other similar Representatives, he
occasionally stands for the whole State.
He Is William III. Moody. of Haverhill.
He has piercing blue eyes. thick sandy
hair. and q light mustachc. lie enters
the elevator in company with another
Assistant Speaker of the House. Albert
]. HOPKINS, of Aurora. Ill. Hopkins
has clear-cut features, sharp gray
eyes, and hair and mustaChe of
the true Titan tint. Like Moody, he
had aspirations to the Speakership. but
fell beneath the sickle of the man from
Iowa. He was n candidate for the Uni
ted States Senatorship from Illinois
when the term of Gen. John NJ. Palmer
gxpfred, and arrived in Jpringfield too
late to prevent the election of William
candidate for the Republican nominal
tion for governor. Moody has served
four and Hopkins fourteen years in the
House OF Representatives. After six
years service, Hopkins was placed
upon the Ways and Means Committee
by Speaker Crisp lie has been Il pro-
minent member since that time, and
now stands third on the list. Aside from
this he is one of the Committee on Mer-
chant Marine and Fisheries and chair
man OF the Census Committee. An ex-
ceedingly active member OF the House.
me has an experience that would make
him a fitting candidate for governor.
Moody sprang into prominence more
rapidly. He served his first term as
member of the Committee on Elections.
Speaker Reed. in recognition of his
worth, in the succeeding term. placed
( him on the Appropriations. Its chair
11:an. Joseph G. Cannon. made him
chairman of the subcommittee on per-
rnaEent appropriations. This gave
q MOODY a high standing in the House
BEING close student and an indefati-
gable worker, he has famillarized him
5 self with the work, and is to-day an eff
4 ficiert aid to Cannon.
AS the elevator reaches the main
4 floor of the House, Moody and Hopkins
are confronted by u third a ,,.5iiz tt7rrt
Speaker. He has short whiskers, n la
militaire. a roseate face. the manners
Slof4a business man, and the plomb OF a
statesman. Like Moody and Hopkins.
Z ale was a candidate for Speaker, and be-
came the prey of the sickle of the Du-
puque farmer. The third Assistant
Speaker Is James S. Sherman of Utica.
M y. AS a presiding officer he has no
superior in the House. 1t is said that
Thomas b. Reed wanted his mantle to
fall on the shoulders of Mr. Sherman.
1t could not have fallen upon the
shoulders of man better qualified to
carry 1t. AT the outset OF the campaign
J; all the indications were favorable-so
sfayorab Bile that Mr.. Sherman refused to
accept life position on the board OF
appraisers of New York City at q sa-
larry of $4,000 a year.
When these three Assistant Speakers
reach the floor of the House they are
4confronted by eight other Assistant
y Speakers. If q man, while the House is
In session, should shut his eyes and
throw ruler into the Republican wing
SOfsthe chamber he would be sure TO hit
an Assistant Speaker.
The intricacies of national legisla-
stion are an interesting study. 1t is as
g Important to know how not to do n
thing as to know how to do it. Few
realize that the House has it's Assist
ant Speakers. as well as it's Speaker
l'Tne speaker is chosen by the House it
self the Assistant Speakers are the
creation of the Speaker. The Committee
of the Whole House is the med
Sfum that gives them rank; their
real title is chairman of tho
Whole House on the state of
the Unioa. Their powers, aside from the
signingsof bills, are not inferior TO those
sosE he Speaker himself. Nearly half OF
The time of the House is spent in Com
1nittee OF the Whole. The rules require
hat all measures involving appropria-
lstons shall be considered in committee