The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-12
CONTEST IS OPEN TO ALL.
Speaker of House Not Necessarily a
Member.
Philadelphia Ledger

Anybody can get into the contest for
the Speakership OF the house OF repre-
the constitution of the United States in
relation to that office are concerned. In
fact, there is nothing except custom
which has prevailed from the beginning
of the government, to suggest that d
member of the house should be its
speaker.
This interesting. even if rather academ-
ic, discussion has arisen In connection
with the pending contest. The cOnsti-
tuition OF the United States provides that
the house of representatives shall choose
their speaker and other officers" That
leaves the field open 20 the world, so far
as the law is concerned, and the sUgges-
ton OF the Iowa editor who wanted Sen
atOr DOlliVer TO keep his place in the
august body at the north end of the cap
itol and TO run for the fspeakership Of
the house as a side issue, become within
the range of the possible.
Henderson of Iowa and all other states
men of parliamentary tendencies who
would like TO be speaker OF the house
will be entirely within their rights as citi-
open headquarters and rally their forces
for the fray The Speakership of the
house of representatives in the Fifty
eighth congress IS open to the world
just how it happened that the first
speaker of the house was chosen among
its members, while all other officers were
taken without that body, is question
that relates to the first doings OF con-
gress. The constitution made provision
for the senate so that its presiding officer
should be an outsider, with absolutely no
authority as a member of that body be-
yond his duties as such except IN case OF
a tie vote, when he has the deciding
voice. The presiding officer of the sem
ate, when that office is filled by the vice
president, confines himself to parliament
airy rulings. He appoints his secretary.
a messenger and telegrapher, and
there ends his patronage except so far as
personal reasons might extend it. He
has nothing TO do with the appointment
of committees, and when he designates
a senator for any duty he does so in a
! of the designation having been placed in
| his hand without consulting with him. In
the case of a president pro tenn Of the
| senate, the selection is made from among
/ that body, and the senator does not, Of
course, lose any privilege.
But the speaker of the house of rep
resentatives has, from the formation OF
members, and from time to time the aU-
| thority of the speaker has been enlarged
until he has grown 30 be an autocrat.
| But the constitution left the place open
1 for appointment, as the house of repre-
| SentativeS sees fit If the Democrats
were TO come into power they could not
| be prevented from calling IN as their
| speaker either of THEN one time peerless
| ieaders-Mr. Cleveland or Mr.. Bryan, as
| that important office, and he could do
/ everything any cther speaker could dc
| except to vote. The possibility of ethel
! Of the Democratic leaders being called in
/ has passed for the present, but the pos
| sibility of ts.at honor being conferred
upon anyone in the Republican party the
| house might desire is entirely open.