The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-05-20
Wednesday, May 20, zoos.
THE HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,,

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The proceedings in the federal house
OF representatives have for years been
source of surprise TO strangers and .
source OF humiliation to the more
thoughtful Americans. 1t is but few
years ago that Speaker Reed in order |
to justify the arbitrary rules which he !
enforced. suspended them for a single |
session. The confusion which resulted
was so much worse than what had pre-
coded that he was petitioned to return |
to the old order of things. Since that
day until the present, the rule of the |
speaker has grown steadily more arbi-
trary and the conduct of the house IT.
self more turbulent, until 1t is now pro-
posed that steps shall be taken which
will give promise of fairer debate, and
more orderly behavior on the part Of
the members.
The debate in the house last Thurs
day was characteristic one and an
swers in description for all others In
which more than a passing interest is
taken. The subject was the all i'm
portant one of currency reform. The
bill under consideration was unknown
In its requirements and provisions to
the great majority of that body previ-
Gus to its Introduction. No hearings
had been held on It and only those
had been consulted in it's preparation,
who were in the confidence Of the
speaker and the committee on rules.
The rules under which the bill was
debated were made to fit the political
emergency and permitted the minority
no adequate opportunity to amend
The debate itself was confusion worse
COMPOUNDED The speakers either adj
dressed empty seats or spoke in a loud
rasplng voice to overcome the noise Of
running conversation and resonant
laughter. In the galleries II was I'M
possible to follow the argument The
only impression made was that of in
tense nervousness caused by the indif-
ference of the members and the shouts
OF the speakers. The scene left one
amazed and then shocked at the utter
absence of anything approaching legis-
lative or individual dignity over and
above everything else was felt the iron
hand OF the speaker who neither at
tempted to control the combatants or
permit an orderly discussion, This
proceeded for several hours culminat-
ing In a forced vote in the absence of
a half hundred members. To write one
such chapter into the legislative his
tory of the country Is to lndict the en-
tire system under which the delibera-
lions of the lower house of the con-
gress are carried on.
To overcome the arbitrary despotism
of the speaker 1t will be necessary In
the first place to invent some new
methods of making committee appoint
ments. So long as the power to APP
point the committees rests in the hand
of one man, even though that one man
Ir tIa If hp
majority, the fate of all legislation
will depend upon his personal view Of
vincngly illustrated this winter In the
case of the proposed extension Of the
nations forestry preserves. one man,
Speaker Cannon who has his own OBJ
stinate notions about that project, has
forts of the President the senate, the
committee of agriculture and various
throughout the width and length of
the land. The passage Of the Vreeland
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 10 HUDlIeT lluSlTd-
ton of the same restricted right Of leg
islative suffrage. The investigation of
the Lilley charges is third ilustra-
ton of the same thing Obviously the
country will not forever endure patti
emily this perversion of fundamental
democratic principle of government.
The speaker of the house must be
made a judicial officer as he is IN the
house of commons, charged with the
conduct not the suppression of debate
and the control of all Legislation. With
this reform will come in time the re-
moval of all desks and swinging chairs
from the floor Of the house. ALREADY
thee is a report before the house rec
ommending Just that change in the in
terest Of order 1t is proposed to re-