Newport daily independent., 1902-07-03

(NeW 0Tk COuSTeSsuL uLdl4i " A-S A@SA NA.~ N-@~
 Reed Rules)
 is likely to come a day when a man in the chair will wield the power of the position for his own aggrandize- ment. Then you will see dictator whose antics may produce anarchy"
 Congressman Hepburn, of Iowa, who is accredited with great aoil- tiles, natural and acquired. and who has been in the house of representa- tives for 20 years, says: The rules of the house make every member look like a little midget lowing and scraping to some other midget, who is magnifed by the obsequiousness of the midgets who have enthroned him. Under the existing rules there may be an ass in the chair, and giants on the floor, but the ass will be the master of them all The rules make the speaker master of his fellow rep resentatives; whereas, the constitu- tion declared that all of the repre- sentatiyes should be equal There is no reason why one man should be selected from the majority and unto him be given all of the rights of the other representatives But that is the condition of the popular body un- der the existing rules"
 Those are words spoken from the brain of experience and from the heart of an honest man. The great est absurdity of the existing rules IS the committee on rules. That com mittee consists of two republicans, two democrats, and the speaker: at least that is the way it looks on pa per. As matter of fact, the com ! mittee on rules consists of two mem bers of the majority party and the l speaker; because the two members of the minority party are always out voted, and usually do not attend meetings of the committed Now the absurdity of having such a committee lies right here.
 The speaker appoints the chairmen and members of all committees. He is chairman of the committee on rules, and appoints two members of his own party on the committee. who do exactly what he tells them to do. or else he can turn them out and an- point two others who will not besi- ate to "crook the pregnant hinges of the knee that thrift may follow favr- lhg' So, after you analyze the com mlttee on rules, you see that if is o mere makeshift to fool the DeonIa It IS no committee at all, but merely a gauzy attempt to hide the one.mon n power of the speaker himself
 No matter what the rules of +bo house may be, it is left to this aI- legged committee on rules to deo;5a what bills shall be taken nm bo,,, long they shall be debated, and when vote shall be taken. The snaa1,or hlmselt decides all these imnortart matters, and then calls a mee+;ro. of the committee on rules. That sao,,a.. pig' The speaker tells his +,vo faI lowers what he wants done ona AZ. one of the two majority members ad- : dresses the house and says: CT have to report a rule from the cor,r,i+4aS on rules, deciding thus and so :" It IS then in the power of the bouse to vote against the order of the speaker thus thinly disguised. hnt because of his power in all other noot teEs' the majority party always s,,s- talns the speaker in this bysnIav h,. sustaining the alleged report of +bs S committee on rules. Thus the bonse 1S governed by one man, under ina need rules and it is about time for ShH people to understand inc nIar for all it is worth '"e pay ,.,,tl the people have very little to ao ,5 ml5h their government. Very T IittJo %
 SMITH D. FRY.