The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-31
R OF SUBSCRIPTION.


The house of representatives is be-
lieved to be in decay. It is deficient in
ability and it is losing its power. The
senate is steadily usrrping and claim
ing to have controlling power n many
things. 1t is even charged that the
house has about lost its proper func-
tions as a deliberatiye assembly, and
does not now represent the peoples in
terests. although elected by them to
their places. The Houston Texas Post,
says of the present attitude condi-
ton of h house of representatives:
THE people have come to think less
of the house. 1t no longer occupies the
place it once did in the estimation Of
the people. With the choking off of
debate under the rule it no longer de-
yclops great leaders OF the people. The
house has allowed itself to sink to the
level of an assistant to the senate to
prepare bills for the senate's consider
alton, Sinking all responsibility on its
own part. Hon. Thomas B. Reed.
'Tsar' Reed, as he was appropriately
named. was largely responsible for the
change. The tendency existed before
Reeds time, but there IS no Duh that.
more than any othe- one man, Reed
took away from the house its freedom
Of speech. He is said to have thanked
God that the house was no longer a
J~eiiberatfve body"
Now if thit is true it is very bad.
The supreme court has usurped pow
ers hat originally it did not have. The
executive has often usurped power
that does not belong tc it. Now with
the senate putting On airs and
looking down upon the peoples
representatives in the ether end Of the
capitol. it is about time for the people
TO speak out and denounce the whole
tendency.
II there were now in the house men
like Henry Clay and other great lead
ere OF bis time, what j racket would
start and how the senators would be
made 10 understand that they were not
as Roosevelt said OF himself to Gen.
eral Miles-'I am the and
7 can bite"
The house showed itself unworthy in
recently attempting to consider the
Philippine tariff. 1t simply railroaded
1t through in a great hurry as 1t did
the Nicaragua canal bill. 1t did not
half debate it, and sent it on to the
Senate to be mastered and disposed of
AS 1T may suit it's wisdom or policy.
The Post say farther and it is time
iy and needed:
Some of the representatives. when
the bill was up. intimated as much.
and one seemed to refer the whole
question to the upper house by inquir-
Ing ironically If it was expected that
the senate would Ass the dill tomor-
row? The practice OF the house in
passing important measures without
full and exhaustive debate is much to
DC regretted. 1t marks a departure
from the original republican ideals that
prevailed at the foundation of the gov
eminent"
Since completing the above we clip
the following from a significant edito-
rial In the Washington Post. a repub-
1ican paper. headed HAS the House no
Rights?" We have only read what we
quote. and may consider the remainder
another day:
w shall be interested in examining
the completed argument of the senate
on foreign relations sustain
ing it's claim to the privilege of tariff
legislation through the medium OF reel
Ii ocity treaties. It has been commended
IN behalf of the house of representa-
tives that the constitution vests in that
body the ~prerogative in question"