New-York tribune., 1902-04-18
HOUSE RULES ARRAIGNED.
SIGNS OF REVOLT AGAINST THE Or
GANIZATION
MR. CUsHMAN, OF WASHINGTON. VOICES
THE WIDESPREAD DISSATISFACTION
WITH THE POWER PUT INTO
THE SPEAKERS HANDS.
[gY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I

THE SPEAKERS S HANDS.
(BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l
| Washington, April 17.-Some Of the pent up
| Indignation which has been accommodating In the
| House of Representatives over the repressive
| and iwarfng operation of the so-called Reed
rules was unbottled this afternoon. when Rep
resentative Cushman Of Washington, expressed
in terms of scathing ridicule the consciousness
of the House that its own functions had been
depleted the merest shadow by the concen-
! tration of all power and all initiative in the
hands of the Speaker and his legislative echo
and instrument-the Committee on Rules. The
depth and force of the feeling voiced by MI
| Cushman cannot be bettled gainsaid. Its
spread has been emphasized at this session by
! two concurrent and striking evidences of dis
satisfaction and discomfort 1t is secret that
| the fight made by the beet sugar forces to
| thwart concessions in tariff duties to Cuba was
/ encouraged secretly or openly by many Repup-
! lcans of standing in the House as a protest
| against the autocratic methods now in vogue in
the popular branch of Congress. More than
half of the Republican membership undoubtedly
sympathized with the "insurgent" movement,
| in so far as it was directed against the methods
by which the House is ruled; and it was only
| when the serious political consequences In
volved in the defeat of Cuban relief legislation
| were realized that the rank and file OF the party
returned with reluctance to the support OF the
House organization. The other and equally
significant sign of revolt was the founding or
the Tantalus Cuban association Of first term
members. which has as its main object the
amelioration of that condition of chattelage and
inconsequence to which newcomers in the House
are doomed by the present system.
Mr. Cushman is not eligible to leadership In
the Tantalus Club. having come to washington
with the LVIth Congress But his ideas founo
q sympathetic Judgement in the minds or the
newer members of all classes, who nave peeh
forced realize their own status as purely
negligible factors in legislation, with no initia-
tive beyond the introduction of bills and no
share in parliamentary routine beyond mere ac
ouiescence in the cut and dried decision or
the Speaker and the Committee on Rules MT.
Cushman's speech is, perhaps. the boldest chai-
lenge yet flung at the parliamentary system
under which the House operates, or, as the
critics of the present code prefer TO put H. 10
operated That its frankness and force were
highly appreciated was proved by the applause
its more cutting periods received and the shouts
NJ laughter which greeted It's humorous and sar-
castle sallies This Congress has undoubtedly
seen too much of the rigors and inequalities OF
the present code to tolerate its re-ehactrnelil
unchanged in 1903. Certainly revision Is
needed-and needed badly-if the House Is 10
regain its lost prestige $ a factor of genuine
dignity and consequence in national leglslatloh
MR.. CUSHMAN'S BREEZY SPEECH
Mr.. Cushman declared that majority OF the
| Republicans of the House were opposed TO the
Cuban reciprocity bill, although majority were
,rdoubtedlv convinced that it would be better
for them to be in favor of 1t. He intimated that
the Sneakers position responsible for the
change of attitude of many of the members anu
followed this statement with an outspoken ana
almost sensational criticism Of the power exer-
cised by the Speaker
II make the statement on this hoor now
said Mr. Cushman, that no member VINO in'io-
duces bill not private bill can get II con-
sidered unless it suits the Speaker ana IL any
one wants to deny that am in a personal po-
sition and In a peculiarly happy frame OF fihu
right now TO give little valuable testimony on
.ho+ po;n+ (Anplause and laughter) Who Is
tho SNEAKER Of this House? Is he mortal. IKE
the rest of us? Who is the Speaker OF 'hls
House that sets up his immaculate JuusiheL' ~
iudee on every bill that is introduced! "heh
a member introduces public Dill IN this rou'e
what happens? 1t is referred TO a great coii-
,rittee Of this House They pass ther 1uosihe
an Il recommend it for passage ana theh IL
oes on the calendar. Calendar? Ihat Is iia-
norner 1t ought 10 be called oeii.
| - ,,,htarl For therein lie the whitening bones
- legislative hopes. CLaughter) Wheh 'he
b,u &c reported what does the mefnpef VIM AZ
,roduced it, and who is charged pS MS 'o
+i+uancv to secure its passage, DO: Does io
| oons,l himself about his desire 10 can II up
| ~ Doee he consult the committee tnat recoih-
nended it? No Does he consult 'i
.ba majority of this House? NO VIII te !
ho+ ba does He either consents that that Dill
At -, the calendar he puts his man
s ,a his individuality in his pocket anu
~ ,rot+ine down that little pathway 'ii'
s. - .,,o sneakers room. All the glory that
! ,+a around the Holy Of Holes IN hlhs
-I.o,,,e tarnnle looked like 80 cents tprolohseo
,,+ar and applause)-yes, looked ike 20
- coronared with that jobbing department
- 49,, ooyarnmant" applause and iaughterj
PLEA FOR A CHANGE,
r,,sbr,an then quoted Cassus's alluslon
| M .. the Colossus of the world and
| continued:
~ onslaught on the individual l have
hig6 regard for the Speaker OF th,s ms fact is hat
sonaIIy and for him poticaLlyy y in this body that
we we hsolnte disgrace the legislative eGds id They
repuD@nci @ r Renmihican they un-DemocTatlc rnfS
are American Applansse 9i House TO the great
sideo oc plane on which the fathers Of the re o
pnbiic placed 1t. where every S n exact plane
this tb h99T eTery o6sr ppn We operate esTtt here
under of rules confessfdt{} of the ndividuaI
members of this body, and at the same @ i,e n " than
in the % hanaS eI espot or ten button
ma2Sarin I say you. my friends. that tne sys 5
bananse b II robs the Individual member in this house
| Of the power that the constitution OF the Unted b
foor entitle him to- is rotten at the. other end
because vests power in men that nave no no lS Sv
| ba We W no capacity fulfil. Appause and laughter2
MIR Chairman; let no man charge ne no" "tn ann
| not trying 10 down the Republican party but