The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04

sentatives are little more than mn OBJ
scurh lot OF weary dummy directors.
And 1t Is their fault. They blame the
rules, and the rules are "gag-law.'
Speaker Cannon told me they were the
elimination of the wisdom OF century
and Il quarter OF accumulated experience
III legislation, but they were perfected by
Speaker Reed, and he was called the
Car Tho Reed Rules" are drawn
fever tighter and tighter by the Com
mittee on Rules. of which the Speaker is
ex-officio chairman and master. They
prescribe the order and method of busi-
ness In the House, and also practically,
of all legislation. Taken together with
the privilege of the Speaker to recognize
or ignore members who wish to speak,
the Speakers rules make the Speaker
supreme.
But our representatives vote for
these rules, and 1t takes a majority to
adopt these "gag-laws." And when bill
is reported to the House for action, the
Committee on Rules brings in a rule for
that bill; II rule which prescribes when
the bill shall be taken up how and how
long 1t shall be debated and, most hui
initiating OF all, how and whether It shall
be amended And this special rule has
to be. and It usually Is, adopted by II
majority vote OF the whole House. So.
you see, like It's. Our" representatives
rivet their letters on themselves. Once
bound fast. they cry aloud for recogni-
ton. as We do and they sometimes lin
surge" as they call It; but again they are
like us-late. Our representatives rep
resent our political character as we'll as
our political condition.
But what do they say themselves about
1T? have asked them, from the Speaker
down through the stoutest stawart to
the meanest insurgent. But do you also
ask your congressman when he gets
| home. Ask him why he surrenders all
his rights and power to the boss of the
| House. He will tell you what they tell
me. for, In one form or another, they
all tell one story. They say they want to
accomplish something. Each one has to
get things done In order that we, the
people. will send them back. And there
is a good deal in that. They blame us,
and we are to blame.
In the mind of the typical congressman,
as have found him. the United States
is q confederation of congressional dis
tricts. and the national government is u
graft His district is the center: his
constituents are the people. His constl-
tuents want something, anything. What
ever he can get out of the nation as a
whole for the good of his constituents Is
so much to the good. Thus he represents
You as against me. Now yoli--the most
of you-don't want anything that I don't
want. Your interest, like mine, Is In the
common good OF all OF us. But since we
want nothing in particularly we are not
very active, and we vote the straight
ticket. Thus we are taken care Of we
would vote for him. anyhow. Flo sees
and hears from and is afraid OF those
amongst us who want some special
favor-an office. or job. pension,
or protection for their business. These
are the fellows our congressman have
to take care of. These are the men he
represents. 1t Is for the specially inter.
ested few that the average congressman
has to get things done.
Now In Congress. the place to get
tnings done is in the committees They
are numerous. secret and. under the
rules. practically final. There are good
committees and poor committees. and 1t
is interesting for citizen to note that
they seem to rank according to the meas
ure of control over good things-money
and appropriations. But the Speaker APP
points the committees and he has the old
members organized and pretty well salts
fled. So the new memter has to get
next" to the Speaker. And to get next"
and to win good committee and