Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-05-09
CUSHMAN'S TIRADE
AGAINST THE TYRANNY OF THE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.

tie Tells Some Wholesome Truths About tn
Methods Inauguratsd by Gar Reed. Unde
Which the Representatives Of Eighty Nil
lions of People are Ground by an Iron Heel
Former United States Senator Johr
NJ. Thurston OF Nebraska, one Of th,
great Republican leaders, has pub
lished an article on "The Rules o
Congress" in which he very plainl,
points out how absolute is the powel
OF the Speaker in all matters OF legis
legislation. Senator Thurston call.
for a change of the House rules
change which will bring the Hous,
back to its old position OF the people.
forum instead of continuing it as the
Speakers private snap.
Right in line with Senator Thurs
tons views was the notable speech o
Hon. Francis w. Cushman, the Re.
publican Representatives. from the State
of Washington. Some extracts from
that now famous address delivered on
April 18th, are here given, and the
general inquiry arises: "How long
will the people OF America submit to
such tyranny" The following ex.
tracts are from the speech as printed
in the Congressional Record:
Il represent a Congressional dis.
trict comprising the entire State ol
Washington, a Congressional district
with half a million people in it and
with vast and varied interests demand.
ing legislation for their benefit and
protection in many of the channels oil
trade and branches OF industry.
alt is with humiliation unspeakable
that l rise in my place on this floor
and admit to my constituents at home
that in this House l am utterly power.
less to bring any bill or measure, nc
matter how worthy or meritorious il
tuay be, to vote unless l can fret
make terms with the Speaker.
at may be q matter of news to
some of the good people within the
confines of the American republic tc
know that there is no way of getting
an ordinary unprivileged measure con
sidered and voted upon in this House
unless it suits the Speaker. 1 am
aware that there are several theoreti
cal ways of getting measure up; bu,
they have no actual reality-no fruit
age in fact. l make the statement or
this floor now, that no member of thil
body who introduces a bill-not a pri
vate bill, but public bill--can get il
considered or brought forward for fna
determination unless it suits tn,
Speaker. Add if any one wants Il
deny that statement I, am in q per.
sonal position and in q peculiarl,
happy frame OF mind right now IL
give a little valuable testimony OF
that point.
Imagine. If you please, a measure
not . private measure. but q public
measure, which has been considered
at length by a great committee OF thi
House and favorably reported with tn
recommendation that it do pass. Tha
bill is then placed on the 'Calen
dar. The Calendar! That is o mis-
nomer. 1t ought to be called a ceme
terry, for therein lie the whitening
bones of legislative hopes. When th'
bill is reported and placed on the Cal
endar, what does the member who in
troduced it, and who is charged by hi
constituency to secure its passage, do
"Does he consult himself about hi
desire to call it up? No. Does h
consult the committee who considered
the bill and recommended it for pass
age? No. Does he consult the viii
Of the majority of this House? No
What does he do? / will tell yo,
what he does. He either consent
that that bill may die upon the Cal
endar or he puts his manhood and hi
individuality in his pocket and goe
trotting down that little pathway o
personal humiliation that leads I,
where? To the Speakers room. Aye
the Speakers room. All the glorie
that clustered around the holy of no
lies in King Solomon's temple looke'
like 20 cents; yes, looked like 20 cent
compared with that jobbing depart
ment OF this Government.
"Then you are in the presence O
real greatness. What then? Why
the Speaker looks over your bill AM
then he tells you whether he thinks j
ought to come up or not.
"There is condition which com
mend to the patriotic consideration Q
the American people. Contemplat
that for method of procedure in tn
legislative body of a great and fre
Republic.
ave face the fact that we hav
adopted set of rules in this body tina
are an absolute disgrace to the legisls
tive body of any republic. With m
this is not a political question as muc'
as it is a patriotic question. Thes
rules are unrepublican, they are IN
democratic, they are unamerican.
"The patriotic duty that to.da
confronts every member OF this Hous
is the necessity OF rising in our mids
and proclaiming new Declaration c