The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-04-18
CUSHMAN ROASTS
COMMITTEE ON RULES

bin viii close tomorrow at o'clock
and il is the intention OF the house
leaders. il possible to force final
vote on the passage OF the bill before
adjournment tomorrow night. All
day long the leaders we're counting
noses and preparing for the hnal
struggle tomorrow
The democrats are badis split on
she bin. The opponents Of the bill
occupied most OF the time Of the de-
bate today the feature being a vigor-
Gus speech by Mr.. Cushman, republi-
can Of Washington, against the meas.
ure. Mr.. Cushman arraigned the com
mittee on rules an dthe house leaders
in breezy and at times sensational
fashion. portion of his criticism
was in semi-humorous vein, but
some Of It was decidedly caustic.
Il make the statement on this floor
now" said Mr. Cushman, that no
member who introduces a bill not a
private bin can get it considered un-
less it suits the speaker, and If any
one wants to deny that, a min d per
sonal position and in peculiarly hap
py fame Of mind right now to give a
little valuable testimony on that point.
(Applause). Who is the speaker OF
this house? Is he mortal like the rest
OF us? Who is the speaker of this
house, that sets up his immaculate
judgment to judge on every bill that is
introduced2 When member intro
duces public bin in this house what
happens? II is referred to a great
committee of this house. They pass
their Judgment on it, recommend it
sor passage and time it goes on the
calendar. Calendar. that is a mis-
nonier. u ought to be called a GENE
terry. OoughteD for therein lie
whitening bones Of legislative hopes
(Laughter) When the bill is reported
what does the member who introduc-
ed it. and who is charged by his con-
stituency 20 secure its passage, does
he consult himself about his desire to
call II up? No. Does he consult the
committee that recommended it? No.
VIII tell you what he does. He either
consents that the bin may die on the
calendar, or he puts his manhood and
his individuality in his pocket and
goes trotting down that little pathway
that leads to the speakers room. All
the glory that clustered around the
holy Of holes in King Solomon's
temple looked like thirty cents (pro-
longed laughter and applause) yes,
looked like twenty-nine cents, com
pared with that jobbng department OF
this government Applause and
laughter)
Mr.. cushman then quoted Cassius
allusion TO Caesar as the colussus Of
the worl dand continued;
Il make no onslaught on the individ-
ual have high regard for the
speaker Of the house personally and
for him politically, but the fact is that
we have adopted a set of rules in this
body that are an absolute disgrace to
the legislative body Of any republic.
Applause on the democratic sde)
The yare unrepuhcan, they are un.
democratic, they are un-Amercan.
Applause on the democratic side).
We need 10 restore this house to the
great patriotic plane on which the
fathers Of the republic placed 1t,
where eery Individual met on this
floor stands o. an equal and exact
plane with every other (Applause)
We operate here under a set of rules
confessedly designed to belittle the
hopes and dwarf the ambitions Of the
individual members OF this body, and
at the same time TO vest more power
ia the hands Of two men than was ev.
er enjoyed by oriental depsot or a
ten button mandarin. say to you
my friends. that the system is rotten
at obth ends. II is rotten at one end
because IL robs the individual mem
Der Of this houeo OF the power that
the constitution Of the United States
and his credentials as m.mber OF
this Aoor entities him to- il is rotter
at the other end because il vests pow
er in men that have no right to it, an,
oftimes places on them duties tha
they have no capacity to fulhn. CAP
piause aud larshter).
Mr. Chairman let no man charg'
me with trying to tear down the re
publican party am not trying {,