The National tribune., 1907-11-28
The OPENING OF CONGRESS.
An Event of Unusual Interest-It Will Be
Several Days After Opening Before Con-
gress is Ready for Business-P0ssib!y
Little Done Before the Holidays.

There Will be many things to make
the session of Congress, which opens
next Monday, unusually interesting. 1t
is not to be expected, however, that
great Congressional events will tread
heel and toe from the very day that
Congress opens. The session prom
ises to be rather quiet till after the
holidays.
The Presidents message. which will
be closely scanned as usual for his
comments and recommendations, viii
hardly be sent in before Tuesday. That
is because the House takes all the first
day to organize and also because the
Senate, which is ready for the transac-
ton of busines much sooner than the
House, will take an immediate adj
journment out of respect for the men,
ory of the two deceased Alabama Sem
ators-Pettus and Morgan. But the
Senate has to elect no presiding officer
at the beginning of a Congress. The
Vice President is its presiding officer.
Neither must it elect other officers,
such as Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms.
The House, on the other hand. has
a very long and exhaustive routine to
observe on its opening day. There
must be a roll call to determine what
members are present. A roll call in
the House with nearly 400 names, oc-
cupies over half hour. sometimes as
much as three quarters of an hour.
The 391 members must be sworn in
as they march up in platoons Of sew
eral States at a time. That takes
something like an hour. The Speaker
must be elected. which means another
roll call. Then the Clerk, Sergeant
alarms, Doorkeeper, Postmaster. and
Chaplain must be elected and a roll
call is necessary for most Of those
Offices
But the members must also draw
their seats. That occupies a couple
of hours at the beginning of every
Congress. 1t is always a picturesque
proceeding. The blindfolded page
draws the numbered marbles from 4
box, the desk clerks consult list to
see the members name that is oppo-
site the number called and the member
breaks through the dense crowd of
lawmakers, jammed behind the brass
railing at the rear of the chamber to
choose his seat. The rattle of the mar
bles resounds through the hall of the
House as the mahogany box is shaken
to ensure thorough mixing of the
numbers and the drawing proceeds.
The reading of the Presidents mes
sage Tuesday viii occupy all the time
of both Senate and House. AS soon
as it is concluded there will be adj
III DOtH DidHCIeS. Specthtl
Cannon will then resume the task of
selecting his committees. There are
so odd of these committees, most of
them with about 15 members. The
Democrats have an increased repre-
sentation in the present House. That
means increased difficulty for the
Speaker in determining the assign
ments and making up his mind as to
where the men will fit in best and do
the best work. 4a
Then the Speaker has to remember
his own plans with reference to legis
lation. 1t is not unusual for him to
make up committees to favor no legis-
lation to which he personally is OPP
posed. This is one evidence of the
great power that modern Speakers
WELD over the House of Representa-
tives, where the Speaker is the second
most influential officer of the Gov
ernment.
It is not likely tha. committees will
be announced before the second week
and perhaps not till Just before Con-
gress adjourns for the holidays. 1t is
doubtful whether the House will do
much of anything but wait upon the
Speakers assignments till after the
holidays, meanwhile looking after a
lot of errands at the Departments for
their constituents.
The Senate, too has to reorganize
its committees but it does that in
different way. The power the Speak
er exercises in that regard is exercised
in the Senate by committee on COM
mittees. The task in the Senate is not
so onerous, but it calls for diplomacy.
One can not do things as brusquely in
the Senate, where senatorial courtesy
prevails. as one can in the House. Sem
ators arrive at results quite as uner-
ringly but they do it in different way.
The Senate will be debating and
probably will be considering some pub
lie business long before the House is
organized, but in the main the period
before the holidays will be one of
preparation. After the Yuletide fes-
tivities the lawmakers will settle down
to serious work and there will be do
ings' sure enough.