The Washington herald., 1907-03-02
SATURDAY. MARCH .. 1907.
Change the Rules of the House.


On the first Monday in next December
a new Congress viii come into existence.
It VIII contain very large proportion of
new members. who ought TO be able and
willing to exercise some independence of
thought and action. It would be we'll
for these new members, during the
months which viii intervene before the
next session begins, TO give some consid-
Grafton TO the wisdom and necessity of
changing the rules of the House We have
no doubt that a large number Of reelected
Representatives will be glad to join with
them in securing most desirable reform.
The Washington Herald regards as un-
American. un-Republcan. and un-DemO-
cratic the present method of transactng
business in the House of Representatives.
Everybody pays cheerful and willing trib-
ute to Speaker Cannon's ability and hon
esty- No man in public life is more
worthy Of esteem. 1t is the system
which we protest against-a system which
had its inception in a period Of great po-
litical strife, and which has been con-
tinued to be executed in a manner totally
AT variance with the spirit of American
institutions. We believe that the coun-
try at large does not fully appreciate the
conditions which obtain in the House;
and we further believe that under the
operation of the system many Represent
atives have been uniustly and needlessly
retired 10 private life, and that the char
acter of the House. as a body rejecting
the viii Of the people, has been seriously
impaired
At the beginning of the Fifty-frst Con
gress the Republicans, under Speaker
Reed found themselves in control with
"a dangerously narrow majority Il be-
came necessary TO Immediately decide all
contested-election cases in favor of the
Republican claimants. and in order TO
accomplish this result it was equally nee
essary that all flibustering should be
cstopped. Under these circumstances.
the so-called Reed rules were adopted.
The application of the rules has. however.
long since lost its partisan character. be
cause Speaker Crisp controlled the House
under them, with some notifications IL
is fortunate that this is the case. because
we can now discuss the situation without
prejudice. It does not, however. argue
that the rules axe proper because both
Republican and Democratic Speakers
have gladly accepted the tremendous pow
or which they place in the Speakers
hands. On the contrary. this is all the
more reason why the power should be
curtailed and restored to the representa-
tives Of the people, where it belongs.
The most important fact which con-
fronts Us in considering the rules is that
the House Of Representatives. under their
operation, has become a one-man body.
The Speaker is, literally, the autocrat of
Congress. His viii Is supreme. The
measures which he favors may pass: the
proposed laws which excite his disap-
proval are as dead as the nails in Mar
ley's coffin. The methods by which this
absolute control of legislation is secured
are as simple as they are effective In
the first place, the Speaker appoints the
committees. He can. and experience in
the past has shown that he does, arrange
the personnel of the important commit
tees so that "a majority is in accord with
his personal views. For instance. a
Speaker who is averse to tariff reform
appoints a 'stand-pat" Committee on
Ways and Means. and the door TO tariff
revision is forever closed. If. however.
the committee should report a bin which
the Speaker does not approve. or, in fact.
IL any committee report any bill. the
question of consideration remains 10 be
determined by the Committee on Rules.
This committee consists of five members
two Democrats and three Republicans
one Of whom IS the Speaker. The Demo-
Gratis are, of course, absolute nonentities.
So. in fact. are the two Republicans.
In the last analysis. therefore. the Speak
er is the Committee on Rules. and the
Committee on Rules being the only agen-
cy through which important legislation
can get before the House, the Speaker
becomes the House. Very simple. there
fore. is the plan by which the Speaker is
given absolute control but its effective
ness has been demonstrated on innumer-
able occasions.
Nor is this all. In addition to the
Speaker. there are $50 Representatives.
all of them equal with him. so far as their
representative capacity is concerned. It
is impossible. however. for any member
at any time to arise in his place and ask
the consideration Of the House for any
measure unless he has first seen the
Speaker and secured the Iatter's consent
for recognition. il the Speaker does
not recognize him. his lips are sealed.
Il does not matter whether the legislation
IS of major or minor importance-whether
It is a railroad-rate bill or proposition
10 construct a bridge-the assent of the
Speaker must first be obtained. We do not
assert that this tremendous power is in
equitably exercised by the present oecu-
pant Of the Speakers chair. The fact re-
mains. however, that the Speaker by re-
fusing 10 recognize any member who pro-
poses legislation hostile to the Speakers
views, can effectually restrict the action
Of the House
II is not necessary at the present time
to go further into this matter, although
much remains to be said. We shall re-
serve for the future the consideration Of
the question whether an occasional fill
'''~ter is a greater evil than existing