The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1903-04-30
The Speakers Prompter.

clerk to the Speaker OF the House OF
representatives., that we have seen pub
lished anc we use it as matter of infol-
nation about a Maine man whose ability
in his chosen line Is not generally know
or duly apprt cated by people Of his OWL
state. Mr.. Kinds Is modest genisl
man whom it ia a pleasure to meet.
There frequently appears in the printed
reports OF the proceedings OF Congress the
statement that "the Speaker ruled" this or
that way on the parliamentary point under
discussion. In order to be strictly correct
these reports should read, "Mr. Kinds ruled, -
for very few of the parliamentary questions
which rise in the course OF debate in the
National House of Representatives are de.
cided by the Speaker. Asher {. Kinds set
ties the parliamentary point at issue and the
Speaker merely repeats, parrotlke, what he
has been prompted to say 10y the parliament
tary authority Of the House. Nine times out
of ten. yes, ninety nine times out of one
hundred, the Speaker doesn't even try to i'm.
prove upon the language used by Mr. Kinds
but with Photographic accuracy repeats To
the House in a loud voice what Mr. Kinds
has said to him 50H0 00ce.
Mr.. Kinds appears in the Congressional
Directory as the clerk OF the Speakers table
In truth he is the parliamentary helmsman
Of the House OF Representatives, and the pre-
siding officer of the House would no more
think Of taking up the consideration of bill
upon which there is liable to be debate with
out Mr.. Kinds standing at the side of his
desk than would the captain of a vessel
attempt to enter a dangerous harbOr without
first taking aboard an experienced pilot.
Kinds is asserted to be the foremost parlia-
mentarian in this country, il not IN the entire
world Not only is he familiar with the rules
and usages of our domestic deliberatiye
bodies but he has an intimate acquaintance
with those of the leading foreign nations, and
when point comes up for which there has
been no precedent in the National Congress
he generally is able to find some ground upon
which to base his action out of the parlia-
mentary history of the foreign governments.
| Mr.. Kinds is not on exhibition as one of
the wonders of Congress, and, although he
directs the Speaker, he meyer puts himself
within the circle of the limeght which is
constantly kept upon the presiding officer of
the House. In fact, he stands Just outside
of its glare where the shadow is thickest.
AT the rap of the Speakers gavel that calls
| the House to order at noon every legislative
day during session of Congress, Mr.. Kinds
quietly takes his place at the right of the
Speakers desk There he stands throughout
the proceedings, keeping an alert watch on
every movement made on the floor. Usually
before the Speaker has grasped the meaning
OF a motion or a point of order, Kinds has
comprehended it, decided the procedure to
be followed and told the Speaker what to do.
He makes no show with all this. To the
unintiated ii would appear that he is merely
a member Of the House, or an employee who
for the time has nothing to do and is anus
ing himself by watching the debate. 1t takes
a close scrutiny to catch him prompting the
Speaker because he scarcely moves his lips in
enunciating in his low, distinct voice what
the Speaker shall say
Asher {. Kinds is a product OF the same
State which gave Thomas B. Reed, another
famous parliamentarian, to Congress. In
fact, it was Mr.. Reed who was responsible for
Kinds being there at present. In 1890 Mr..
Reed brought him to Washington as his
clerk. MIR. Kinds served with Mr.. Reed
committee during the Fifty first, Fifty-second
and Fifty-third Congresses and in the Fifty
fourth Congress was made clerk at the
Speakers desk Mr.. Reed, while Speaker,
was very particular about the parliamentary
proceedings of the House. 1t is said that
there was not one Representative in the en-
tire membership who could handle the gavel
to his liking when he desired to leave the
chair. Consequently it was great relief to
him to have at his right elbow the only man
in Washington in whose parliamentary abll-
ity Mr. Reed had absolute confidence. Mem
bers who were called upon by the Speaker to
preside over the House in his absence or over
the committee of the whole House were
instructed to accept Mr. Kinds rulings on all
! parliamentary matters without question.
The convenience # having a Speakers
prompter who was almost unerring was soon
recognized by the leaders in Congress, and
after Mr.. Reeds resignation Mr.. Henderson
retained Mr.. Kinds in his important position,
and Mr.. Cannon has already said that he will
do likewise III the coming Congress over
which he expects to preside.
Mr.. Kinds is natural parliamentarian.
! Just as some people have a knack for dealing
with mathematics SO he delights in para-
mentary problems. 1t Is as much pleasure
for Mr. Kinds to unrayel complicated Jar
amentary situation as il is for the ordinary
man to follow the plot Of an interesting
novel. He was born in the little town of
| Benton, Maine, February o, 1863, and his
first experience with parliamentary body
was twenty one years later when he was sent
| to Augusta to report the proceedings of the
Maine Legislature as a newspaper CORE
spondent He soon found that parliament
tary situations that stumped the members of
| the Legislature were single pr .blems to him,
so he began, at first for amusement, to devote
his leisure time to following out whatever
| parliamentary tanges came up to their logi-
cal conclusions. Afterwari he took up the
subject seriously and all OF his spare time was
devoted to the study OF parliamentary law
and parliamentary history. Before he had
finished his third, and last session as legis
latye correspondent he had acquired an en-
viable reputation as an authority on parlia
mentary law. Mr.. Reed vas a specialist on
the same question and one day he engaged
in controversy with a friend over parha.
mentary point. The friend finally suggested
that the decision be left t. young Kinds -
"Who's Hinds2" assed the man upon
whom afterward deyoved the duty Of count
ing quorum in the House If Representa-
tives.
"IIe's newspaper man who has male
himself the best parliamcutaIlan in Maine,
rejoined the friend.
Mr.. Reed sought out Kinds and soon after
their meeting offered To take him TO Wash
ington as his clerk Before their friendship
ended Kinds had pursued isestudies Of par,
Elementary law 50 far that Mr.. Reed frequent
ly and frankly admitted himself to be out
classed by his clerk.
Mr. Kinds had been At his post at the