The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-10

UNIQUE and distinct from all predecessors
Il the new House Of Delegates. In some
respects 1t lacks features Of interest that
attached to the last House. For instance.
no such picturesque figure as Ed Butler is
pulling the wires from behind the scenes.
and among those missing are such bright
particular stars in the way OF legislative
performers as Kelly. Sweeney and Cronin.
It Is unique in that young college men
Of what Is often derisively termed the six
Stocking element control the 1ance OK
power. Perhaps It is unique also In that It's
majority is less identified with the personal
interests of ward politicians than has been
the rule.
The transaction OF business has just De-
gun. Thus far tho anti-Butler organization
which dssted William II. Hughes Speaker
gives every indication OF sufhcient cone
sfveness to last through the term. There Is
some talk Of two men-who voted for Fon-
tana sonning Into ths Hughes camp. Should
this occur the majority would mount from
the present fifteen to a safer seventeen.
COMPARISON OF HOUSES.
A comparison of the last House and Of
its successor. first stages alone considered.
fayors the latter. Tit House which went
out of ONCE in April was first organized in
the Rozier Hotel, eleven saloonkeepers pres
emit and controlling the caucus. The result
was the nomination of James H. Cronin
for Speaker and John P. Sweeney Speaker
pro tenn. Charles F. Kelly was not at that
time honored with office, but his was a
Job, not upon the official calendar. but
which was neutrality-suspicious. OF the
people. Kelly was the '~grand-tand" man.
whose ringing %eloquence was to denounce
the combine and to stand as cover for the
game Of extending the big mitt."
Genial Jim Cronin was doubtless the most
amusing occupant Of the Speakers chair
in the history Of local legislation. Cronin
was the chief buffoon. The blazing brill
Nancy of his diamond stud was not the only
radiance which ehone in those days from
the rostrum. There was also the Cronin
beaming smile and blithe humor. which
transformed the Speakers duties into a
vaudeville stunt and parliamentary forms
into O Joke.
SWEENEY'S DOMINANCE.
Yet Cronin was not the real king. Sweeney
was the power behind the throne, and But
Ter was the power behind the power behind
the throne. 1t was at this time, in the ca
4 reer Of the last House. Immediately after
organization. that the vagaries Of the body
I were occasion for much lamentation among
- ktS SAbS GS. oCSdAGC <hosoA SAAs
refused to hearken to the demands Of
House Of Delegates members in the matter
OF distribution Of patronage that body re-
fused to pass the temporary appropriation
bill. It was war to the knife, and, the city
was crippled for several months.
Tn new House, with its organization de-
pending upon what Cronin has designated
as "dem kids" passed the temporary appro-
priation bill without delay. 1t was not
even the subject Of debate. was received
from the Council. sent to third reading, and
passed within the space of two meetings.
Lakeland. in disposing Of 1t, discovered his
s esaurs. nSa,srinsins "a a rarely used method uso
of preventing a reconsideration. II move"
said he. ito reconsider the vote upon which
the bill was passed and to table the mo-
ton" But one motion to reconsider can
be made. and If that be killed all other
efforts to reverse action are out OF order.
This maneuver surprised the Fontana ad-
herents. and Gazzolo rose to inquire its
meaning. The question already had been
put and carried. when Lakeland explained.
The explanation seemed satisfactory to the
Fontana men. fer they raised no objections
HISTORY OF 1901 HOUSE.
Pursuing a little farther the history Of the
House OF 1901. Its entanglements and In
ternal struggles and jealousies make an in
teresting chapter. Trouble arose from a
peculiar conjunction of circumstances
When the campaign Of 1901 was on John P.
ew. .ney. who owned and yet owns the
Thd.d Ward. had no opposition. Charley
Kelley, in the Twentieth. had by no means
such q "cinch." So the latter. upon the
day before election. dispatched a trusted
lieutenant to Sweeney with a message like
this:
,John. they're fixing things in the TWEEN
fieth and are going to run in a lot of
Indians. Can you send me a couple of
men who know the boys and will fix 'em?'
John was agreeable and sent two boys"
husk- chaps. who got about ten bucks
apiece for the job. to go up and help Kelley
out. Now that Sweeney no longer is in a
public position. he is willing to say:
"-her was $50 rounders-uo In the ward
who had framed It up to throw Kelly, But
my men got next to 'em. and. well. Kelly
won by twenty-one votes"
KELLY,S CONDUCT.
TIE sum and substance of the whole thing