The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-06-03

80 --sxzsA-sss191aS On Es1rsL Assuming the
SsaVel--E training Influences on
E Speakers Autoeratie Power
Studying the HOUSE = Problem
5oE Naming the Comn1it tees State
Bosses Make Up and Present
Doodle slate-Their UItimatum
Was Declared.
s. & AS EN-spEAKER OF THE LEGIs-
SIS Ia 1E.I5IaE De 0NE or THE LARG-
s. 6 STATES IN TIE UNION.
Copyright. 1905. BY Joseph b. Bowles.l
Z 1S11 How the legislative mill
5 gf1nas will he described in granhic de-
IS the series of articles of which
ILLS u the first. Ii chatty anecdotal
way the writer reveals what goes on
snInd the scenes in the legislature of
] 2 great state. he. holds up to view the
saIhesnods employed in putting through
zslessl sIat1on OF all sorts, good, lad and
lfIerent; he shows the intimate
connection existing between the 1egis-
4 azure and politics from the top at the
Ila elo1lal capitol to the bottom in the
precinct IN city, town and country,
with ali the ramifeations running into
he explains how the railroads
a1aa olIler great corporations endeaVor
{ 20 secure legislation satisfactory TO
s1 mem the methods of members in get
~ private graft: how the farmers
and labor unions eoerce the legislature,
etc. he writer IS high in political life
to-day, strong believer IN organiza-
lion and jealous Of his good reputa-
fa9n % reveal his Identity would
mean suppression OF the articles, for
reasons which will be Obvious to the
. reader#as the series progresses.
Mr. Speaker.
~ y asthe first time had been so
addressed from the floor of the lower
! house Of the legislature. The title had
been tackled to my name the day be-
lore n complimentary fashion when
the caucus Of my party, the majority
i party u the house, had decided to put
me in the chair and give me the all
ing IN his place, Immediately after the
close Of the short Inauguration speech
n hieh custom egaeted from the new
Installed official, was the first to
officially and properly give me the title
which, held for more than one term.
As look back now on those nerve
raeking, trying days, can recall the
inarticsIlate gasp which seemed to send
s my heart up into the region of my
LnT8at when the deliberately voiced,
bugIe clear words, Mr. Speaker, came
from the member standing erect anu
exgecEant on my left. recognized
him and he pronered a routine reso-
luton bearing on the preliminary
movements which lead up to the be-
ginning of business in house of
representa- in any state Of the
union
Those first moments Of my speaker
ship were heavy with apprehension
and laden with misgiVfngs I was
fearful Of making some false move
which would give the minority an
early chance 10 make a point or two.
may have had some form of stage
/ frigh Perhaps the strain of the few
preceding days had tried my nerves
TOO severely Perhaps twas the be-
ginning Of the realization of the heavy
respans biIities which I had assumed.
! But whatever the cause the fact re-
mains that my first quarter OF an hour
with the gaVeI in my hand were Is
minutes of mental anguish and almost
physical torture:
Few men appreciate the tremendous
power which ahides in the speakers
chair. doabt il any man, except one
Whe is or has been speaker, realizes
the magnitude esf the power for good
or evil which rests in the hand that
holds the gaveI in tire lower house of
u state legislature And few men IN
derstand why 1t is that frequently the
speaker apparently is unable or IN
willing to exercise his potent influence.
was IN experienced law maker
soa.e years before became speaker
and my several terms as representa-
tive had shown me- the vast response
Il biIities which ut times seem ready TO
crush the chief officer OF the lower
house. But in all those years the bur-
den had been chi the shoulders of the
other man, the scepter of power
was IN another's hand. 1t was not
until that first quarter of an hours
agony had passed that felt the weight
of the Response bility and realized the
authority of the little mallet of pol
ished wood which lay on the desk be-
fore me. Then there came to me the
query Will make agood record or
Will / retire at the end Of my term an
abject failure
While We waited the return OF the
committee which had been sent on the
aerfunetory errand to ask the gov
amor if he had any message for us 1
alaneed over the assembly that faced
me-. Most OF the men behind the
decks which in parallel half circles filled
M snaefous room, were well known
- me. Many of them had been my col
leagues for some years. Some Of them
vrera nv bitter political and personal
enemies. All Of them seemed to be
laf,lsiT.a at me apparently studying the
! mar, wIo by their own act had sud-
aanly and actually become the auto
srat of them all
stA,1foerat. was the very word that
came. into my head as sat there, wait wait
IND FOR the committees return. And