The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-08

Peculiaritfes-BOth Presiding OIL
GERS Good Natured and Given 10
Jokes.
BY r. NJ. Larner.
Washington. April NEARLY all
presiding officers, both in the Senate
and the House, have some popularity
that attracts the attention of men who
have opportunity to observe them day
in and day out. Mr.. Frye of Maine.
the presiding officer of the Senate. has
way of rushing business through the
Senate, as far as the legislative for
malities are concerned, much faster
than any Vice President would dare to
do. That is because Mr.. Frye is him
self a Senator and from his long serv-
man who had come in more recently
would not. Mr.. Frye is a very good
natured presiding officer and makes
numerous remarks on the side and in
an undertone, which keeps all the
clerks and newspaper correspondents
around the desk laughing. In fact,
they are the only people who hear
most of these observations. He is
very unconventional, expresses his
opinions in these aside conversations
very freely.
Senator Frye n Quick One.
But when it comes to reciting the
formalities by which bills are passed
Mr.. Frye proceeds at lightning speed.
Occasionally somebody gets up to talk
in favor of a little bill, which would
so through without opposition, and Mr..
Frye is through with the formula be-
fore the Senator can collect himself
and begin his speech. For expediting
business in this way Mr.. Frye received
the thanks of many Senators, who are
anxious to have the calendar bills, few
of which nave any Objectionable pro-
visions, speedily disposed of. Accord
ingly he enables the Senate to crowd
through lot of private bills in half
the time less experienced presiding
officer would require.
Speaker CannOn's Way.
Mr.. Cannon, at the other end of the
Capitol, has more turbulent body
to control, and he is not so good a
parlamentarian as is Mr.. Frye. IN
less Mr.. Cannon has the good will of
everybody on the floor, which he has
TO remarkable degree, he would get
into serious trouble. But his quaint
sayings ana picturesque ptdflHB save
him from what otherwise might be a
serious parliamentary tangle. Mr.. Can
non keeps the House in better temper
undoubtedly than did either Speaker
Reed or Speaker Henderson. However,
Mr.. Reed will stand out as the most
remarkable Speaker of the House in
the last quarter of century.
"UncIe JOe's" Popularity.
Uncle Joe" has one little popularity
in the administration of the House
which affords onlookers constant
amusement. This is his trick of rec
ognizing a member occasionally who
has not risen for recognition, but to
whom Mr.. Cannon has agreed to give
recognition. The late Speaker Reed,
once in a great while, used to startle
the late Representative Dingley, then
chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee, by announcing:
THE gentleman from Maine moves
that we now adjourn" At such times
Mr. Dingley would rise quickly to his
feet, bow complaisantly, and while Mr..
Reed was perfunctoriy putting the
motion to adjourn there would be
general smile. 1t was Mr.. Reeds hui
morous way of intimating that he was
ready to have the House adjourn and
did not thing it necessary to send
page to Mr.. Dingley to tell him to
make the motion.
Keeps an Eye ON the Members.
But Speaker Cannon goes a great
deal further than that. He has not
only played time and again the same
kind of joke upon Mr.. Payne of New
York, now chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee, in motions to adj
journ, which Mr.. Reed used to play on
Mr.. Dingley, but he often surprises
members on the floor by calling out
that this or that member is recognized,
and it is often simply for bill, about
which there had been a conference in
the Speakers room. Mr.. Cannon has
as most speakers in recent times have
had, a list on his desk containing the
names of members whom he has
agreed to recognize to present various
bills. If proceedings lag and no one
is ready to come forward with a bill
Mr.. Cannon does not hesitate to rec
ognize some member by name who has
not even risen to ask recognition. In
the hubbub that usually prevails in
the House it is not always easy to be
heard and Mr.. Cannon calls out the
name ab the top Of his voice. The
startled member jumps up, at his wits
end to know what is wanted Of him
till he thinks about that bill. 1t is al
most like a school teacher calling out
to a boy who happens to be up to
some mischief. Certainly the mis-
chievous boy is not more Disappeared
than is the member thus called out.