The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-04-22
THE HOUSE RULES SCORED.
THE CALENDAR A CEMETERY"
Sharp Filings at Republican Leaders.

Representative Francis W. Cushman,
of Washington State, in the Directory
gives these occupations in chronological
order: "Water boy, common laborer,
section hand. cowboy, lawyer and repre-
sentative at large" He stands six feet
two inches in his stockings. He enliyen-
ed the Cuban debate by shafts OF wit and
yituperation aimed at the House lenders.
The significance Of the speech lies in the
fact that he Is Republican and was ap-
plande,l and cheered TO the echo, quite ~
much on one side of the House as the
other. His attack on the Speaker and
the Committee on Rules was more bitter
than anything Of the kind since those
made by the Democrats on Thomas B
Reed. and to all appearances was nm ex-
preston Of feeling Of revolt against the
House leadership felt n both parties.
These are some of Mr.. Cushman's sen
tences:
81 am suffering from vaccination that
took and find that as get back to the
House that it was needed. There is no
telling what political idiocy or devastat-
ing malady a man is likely to encounter
in this chamber.
"We are met on the threshold OF this
House by n set Of rules, not under which
the body operates, but by which it is
operated
"My constituency amounts to many
patriotic souls, and cannot bring into
this House any measure whatever, else
first make terms With the Speaker. And
il anybody wishes to deny this am in a
personal position and in n peculiarly
happy frame Of mind to give him valua-
bic testimony right now
''The Committee on Rules passes indg
ment and then bill goes, not to the cal
endar. but to the cemetery, where lie the
whitening bones Of millions OF legislative
hopes.
"a man who introduces a bill here puts
his manhood in his pocket and goes trot-
ting down the aisle to the Speaker'sroom
or the bill dies.
"All the glories that clustered around
the Holy Of Holes of King Solomon's
temple look like 30 cents compared with
the jobbing department of this Govern
ment.
1--WE operate under n set OF rules de-
signed to belittle the hopes and dwarf
the ambitions of the individual. 1t is
rotten at both ends, because it vests
power in men who have no power and
no capacity to fill their duties.
"Mr. Chairman, let no man charge me
now with trying TO tear down the Re
publican party | am not trying to tear
down the Republican party, but confess
that | sometimes feel that | would like to
put my hand upon the throat of one or
two who conceive that they are the Re
publican party. am believer in the
Republican party. The true friend OF his
party is the man who does not sit idly by
and watch his party drift into disrepute
and toward destruction, but the man
who rises up and calls attention to the
evils that exist Nero sat on the ehilltops
and fiddled while the Eternal City rosein
smoke and sank in ashes, and we are
sitting here idly and unconcerned while
the great power Of this ancient house is
being evaded, belittled, debauched and
destroyed.
Between a pressing constituency and
the stone wall in the Speakers room !
have been fiattened out like Cancelled
postage stamp.
"Now in the three years that | have
been member Of this body have always
approached that little machine with the
Difference due to it's age and its station;
but hope you will excuse my irankness
when tell you that from this time on |
will devote a little OF my time and a 1.-THE
OF my energy to putting few spokes in
the wheel of that machine that the de-
signers OF the vehicle never ordered"