The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-19
POWER OF THE SPEAKER
REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA.
By CICERO w. HARRIS.

dignity the Nice-PreSldency and the
Chief Justiceship. In republic
forms either eat up vitality or the
vitality of the democratic principle is
such as 90 supersede mere forms.
With the people of this country so
far, notwithstanding some contradict
ton in the career of the Senate itself,
the first of these alternatives has oc-
Cured. The reasons are briefly that
the people have increased in general
intelligence to the "oint where they
respect real more than apparent pow
err: and, =, the real power as between
the two presiding officers OF the cham
hers of Congress lies with the Speak
4er of the House rather than with the
President of the Senate. The Vice
President. except for his potentially
to succeed the President in the event
of death, Impeachment. &C.. is not
clothed with the authority or the dig
nifty of the Speaker. This Is due to
several circumstances, foremost
among which is the fact that the
Speaker appoints and the President
of the Senate does not appoint COM
mittees Then the rules of the popu-
lar bod. have become a stern instru-.
nent for party ends in the hands OF
the presiding officer. In the senate
there Is usually Il Nice-President TO
preside, for it has seldom happened
that that officer either died during
death of the President to the higher
Office. This presiding officer coming
from the outside having shorter
term than the Senators themselves
and latterly. since the middle age OF
the republic, having been chosen
from a class of comparatively
mediocre politicians. is not personally
as commanding figure i'll the life OF
The Senate as the Speaker is apt to be
in the life of the House OF Represen-
tatives. Hence he sinks below the lat
ter In public esteem ana persohal III
fiuence. The Speakers powers IRON
the beginning have grown greater
and greater. 1t was not until Mr..
C,lay's time that the Speaker was the
masterful leader of party IN the
House The House of Commons plan
of strictly parliamentary presiding
officer was followed. 1t took a great
politician and innOvating genius 10
change the English way into what
has mostly been the American way
since Claws first Spcakership term
Another cause for the Speakers
greater influence and powers is TO be
found in the constitutional functions
OF the Senate. That body is as ire
ouentiy a council Of state for treaty
making and oIfice-appointing as IL IS
legislative body This fact gives it.
along with it's smaller size and there
fore greater conference, and its longer
term of membership. more weight IN
the government than is possessed by
the House of Representatives; but
while, as George Mason. the 1liuStrl-
Gus friend OF. Washington and apt
student OF Locke and Sidney. has
pointed out, the Senate is danger
ously aristocratic body. its presiding
officer is little more than a figure
head He has few powers or priVi-
leges. The Senate has usurped dl1-
- amt
corded to il in the great charter or
tine CONSTITUTION in various matters
chief of which is the power To con-
struct reverenue measures under tne
Dretence of amendment. Here the
intention OF the founders OF the gov
eminent was evidently thwdrted by
n trick. The power to amend tafltt
bin was never intended to extend to
the right to strike out all after the
enacting clause and insert a new
measure outright This power has
been exercised. and yet no judicial
decision from tho Supreme Court has
ever been rendered to prevent SO ma
Grant and infamous usurpation.
In the government the United
States Supreme Court was in the be-
ginning a comparatively nslgnihcaht
body. But the great stretch OF au-
ihority given it in the judiciary ACT
Of the First Congress framed by one
of the greatest lawyers of the period,
afterward Chief Justice Ellsworth,
laid the foundation which was built
upon by the still greater Chlet JUS
tce John Marshall to erect on the
Constitutional authority OF the red
cral Judiciary an extra consttutloilal
authority Subve rSive of all true state
rights But for a considerable While
the Chief Justice and his court were
rot the factors in government ma
cllinery they afterward became. Ana
while the court is now acknowledged
m-Americanly, undemofatlcaiiy TO
he the pivot of the government, its
presiding Judge is not admitted by
the people TO be equal in power ana
real Importance to the regular pre-
siding officer of the Tower House OF
Congress.
1t was not my purpose in the flrst
article on the SpeaAership OF the
United states House of Representa-
tives 10 include certain men more
or less notable in the congressional
and general history OF their times as
being among the great Speakers.
While | claim for Mr.. Polk that he
was n far abinr man than Northern
writer's and the Southern Wings Or
his own day admitted. ] utterly deny
that either he or Andrew stevenson
of Virginia. was the equal in ability
Mt least with the men mentioned IN
that article as great. nlaSterful
Speakers. Neither had the clear m
sight, The breadth and sympathy, the
power over mems minds that char
acterized Chev.s, Clay. or Carlisle.
and while l maintain that Polk was
O profoundcr politician than Reed
and might sercit he regarded as
safer thinker than Elaine. he was NOT
BY any means us brilliant thinker
as .he latter and never welded il
the chair the same influence. H. ~
T. Hunter, of Virginia, was u1douoI
edly an able man. But he was not
ore of the big Speakers. !. noHTeve''
omitted one large mind from my list
Ucwoll Cobb.
some Northern writer's of history
have cracked Up Taylor. of New
York, who followed Clay in the House
chair as great Speaker he was
neither Il very able leader nor presid-
ing officer. III the Congresses OF his
time there were several far ADLER
and more influential men,
Northumberland - making
over. langiug-zbetterinS. All this
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