The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-22
THE REAL GOVERNMENT.
Slime Sidelights on How Laws Are
Made in Washington.
New York Mail and Expressly

tNew YORK Nail and EXDress.)
Washlngton.-The United States IS
really governed by means of a series
Of conferences But the house OF
representatives and the senate and the
president, one may protest. What 40 they
DO? The answer is. Simply carry out
what the conferences have decided.
1t Is very instructive 10 watch and
study the workings and deliberations
of the congress for hour after hour from
the rarefied atmosphere Of the CORE
spOndents gallery A great volume of
sound rises ceaSelessly. Sometimes the
house or even the soberer and more
stolid senate. is as voluble and noisy as
the pit of the New York stock exchange.
But as 1 glance over the senate observe
that few men are outside the hurly
ourly-withdraWn apart, alOof I mark
Senator Aldrich in close converse ton
cut, sitting on d sofa in the
rear. detached from the main body
of takers. ] note Senator Hanna. hold
ing a whispered conference with two or
Of the chamber Senator Lodge. with TO
ears for the stir and noise is deep IN a
book just brought to him from the great
library OF congress Senator Proctor ana
Senator Spooner. also. are it is be re-
marked: taking no part in the voluminous
and noisy debate
All OF these senators have a detached
look They are the typical leaders of the
conferences that control and govern US
Each has his danx -'levee," to which
other senators and representatives go for
an interchange of views. TO learn what
form the real leaders Of Congressional
opinion VIII give 10 this policy or to that
and to ascertain how the programme is
finally to be carried out
In the senate these leaders merely
watch the tempest surging about them.
Like Addison's angel. they ride on the
Wnlrlwind and direct the storm but they
are not part of it.
The house, also has its conferences. but
they do not play so conspicuous and DOW
erful d role in shaping legislation and
government policies The speaker * al
ways rorceful parsonage. Once he was
more powerful than the president, and
held the keys OF legislation because he
neid the strings Of the national purse
ana knew how 70 bind and how TO loose
But the speaker has lost his influence
along with the house itself, as the senate
and the Individual senators have gained
II. Only. two conferences or levess are
now held by members Of the house. one
oy speaker Henderson and the other by
MI richardson OF Tennessee. who directs
the struggling guerrilla forces of the
Democratic side The representatives an
preciate the situation and know that
power rests with those who have the
final word.
If I should attempt a rough cIassihca-
ton or graduation of these controlling
conferences, l should say that they 90
IN ascending scale from the somewhat
casual trdgmentary and almost purpose
less conferences among the less inhuen-
uaI senator's These are rudimentary
and prepare the way for the great con-
ferences.
Next come the Ievees held daily and
nightly by such senators as Mr.. Hanna.
MI. AICrlcn. Mr. Foraker. Mr.. Lodge
and Mr.. SpOoner- These leaders are sell
dom seen at the leYees of their powerful
peers. They hold leyees and others come
20 their feet for. counsel and direction
Then come the White House confer
eTS with the president and sometimes A
department secretary. Here the grear
leaders meet on neutral ground and Ger
tam Dohcles are hammered at and be-
come somewhat fused and welded But
they are not yet forged into final shane.
This Is the work of the senate confer
ence- Much, but not much. is left to
these last conferences when eXigencies
suggest small compromises or changes in
order that the measure agreed upon else
Ehere may be enacted into law
Inc most important OF the series of
conferences Is unQuesUonably those held
IN the private reception rooms of the
senate leaders il is there that policies
are really worked out no matter what
changes may be made in them dfterWard
and what form they may ultimately as
sumo.
The senate has got back to its origin.
IL was organized as a sort Of PRIV
council ana Is become a sort of pri-
Nate council. Governor Morris who
helped 10 draft the constitution. declared
he hoped the senate will show the might
OF aristocracy.' 1t has finally done 50:
but IL is the might of the aristOcracy of
consummate leadership OF men. and not
an aristOcracy of birth.
As the senate has risen in power and
Importance through the masterful leader
ship Of a handful of its members. the
house has cOrrespOndingly sunk in the
balances IN the deliberations that pre-
ceded the Spanish war the senate held
the issue entirely in its hands. Speaker
Reed s Overmastering personality kept
the house steady and true 10 the course
and earlier days the steadfastness Of the
house would have checked the senate
but the houses day had passed. When
the senate leaders wanted war. war was
Immediately declared Since the senate,
under the skillful generalShip of its half
a dozen leaders. has easily maintained
its rank II is a privy council at large
for the president and for the house of
representatives
The cabinet has also had much OF its
power appropriated By the senate lead
eTs- A senatorial conference is far more
important than cabinet meeting When
the president wishes advice he goes TO
the senate leaders He is then sure Of
having his course sustained.
The conference" rules.
Its Name