The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19
ROBERT LEE HENRY, TEXAS
BY sAVoYARD.


 ity, "bimetallism," that never did exist
 and never can exist in the sense that
 Mckinley, Bryan, Bland and all the other 16-to-l-ers advocated it in 1896. Henry strove for an income tax and for a volun-
 tary bankrupt law He opposed the bond issue of 1898. and advocated the Teller resolution. His speech on the Porto Rico tariff was perhaps his greatest effort and attracted universal attention. He also discussed the Philippine question. domes- tic trusts, and the impeachment of Judge Swayne. His remarks on the rate bill added greatly to his reputation.
 These are only some of the questions Henry has discussed, and his speech on the Porto Rico tariff got the eommenda- tion of Champ Clark, Senator Bailey and many more of the leading statesmen 1t Washington. Henry is now d leading member of the minority of the judiciary committee, in which council chamber Proctor Knott, Randolph Tucker, Frank Hurd and David Culberson made so great reputation.
 In the Filthy ninth Congress Henry was selected as chairman of the democratic caucus, q most distinguished honor for so young a man--indeed. a distinguished honor for any member, however aged. John Sharp Williams was the democratic 1eader, and far and away the ablest de- batter on either side of the House His success in that behalf is as much due to his readiness, a capacity to think on his legs" as it is to the strength of his | reasoning powers, and they are simply marvellous. In a political discussion Williams mind is st once telcscopic and microscopc He can handle the biggest aspect of a subject and never lose sight of the smallest. In that respect, be- lieve, Williams has had no equal in Con gress in my time of nearly 3e years at this capital. His memory is tar bucket that holds all that once touches it.
 But like all men fit to lead, Williams engendered antagonism, some of it due to honest differences as to the policies he adopted, and much of it due to good old-fashioned envy, as Tom Reed used to say There were mutterings and threats
 Men were besought to contest the leader ship with him. and it was oft proclaimed that they had him beaten, and doubtless the antagonists of Williams sincerely thought they were serving the party and the country. They took up this man, that man, and t'other man, but Williams had led so ably and so brilliantly that competition shrank from him. They tried to get Bob Henry to enter the lists, and there is no doubt thata Henry would have been very strong man for the place but he was well satisfied with Williams course and refused the offer of faction.
 Henry Clayton is one of the foremost men of the democratic side. He is Tn l every respect what we mean by strong man." He goes straight to the meat of a i question. whether it be thing of politi- l cal principle or a matter ofFparty action 1 Henry was not candidate for chairman ] of the caucus of the SiXtieth Congress and all eyes instinctively turned to Clay ton. who was chosen, though he could not have been induced to accept 1t had not Henry declared his purpose to re- tire.
 But Henry has ambition. He hopes to be speaker some day, and if the SlXty- first Congress should do the wholly un- expected and well-nigh impossible and have a democratic majority, Robert Lee Henry will enter the field against Champ Clark and the others for the speakershlp. Assuming that the impossible should hap pen, as it has in the past, and MT. Bryan should be elected President, my money would go on Ollie James for the speak ership.
 What A folk we are! The speaker should be to Congress what the wee President is to the Senate-a mere figure head He should not even be member of the House, but some fellow like Asher Hinds, with a talent for parliamentary
 
 Even his politics should be no matter of conseauence and he should not be member of the committee on rules, nor should he be allowed to name any com mittee.
 It was not until James G. Blaine got to be speaker that the office attalned to first-class importance. He employed the committee-making power to advance his personal political fortunes, and that Is what ruined him, for his selection of the men to make the committee of postoffices and postroads in 1869 cost him the nomi- nation for President in 1876, though there is little doubt that Tilden would have ! beaten him out of sight, and it is certain that the republican party would not have stolen the presidency for him as it did for Hayes
 Some of Blanes successors in the speakers chair were exceptionally strong men-Randall, Carlisle, Reed and Can non Even Carlisle, a man of pre-emi- nent judicial temper, employed the com- mittee-making power to advance or re- tard certain legislation especially the committee on ways and means and that on coinage, weights and measures. Reed succeeded Carlisle and was the absolute autocrat of Congress; but not more so than is Joseph G. Cannon.
 Thus Congress is become the organ on which a junta of three members may play any tune they may see nt. Not only is the minority powerless b't the majority also. But that Is not thc worst of it. For more than seven years there has not been a day when the American Congress could keep US spinal column erect in the presence of Theodore Roosevelt The President of the United States has become the most powerful public man on earth, and as is suggested, if Wall street should buy the next election for Will liam J. Bryan, that gentleman would find a way to jam through a repnbli- can Senate whatever he chose. But as long as the democratic parry persists in nominating it's weak est man for President, it will not elect Pres ident, nor a speaker, and if the ex- pccted shall happen Champ Clark, Bob Henry, Ollie James, and the rest of them may set their sails for the minor ity leadership. That is as high as any one of them will get until the demo- cratic party relearns how to play the game of politics.
 Henry entered Congress at the agc of 33. He is now A and yetSa young nan with brilliant prospects. It is an historical fact that most great par liamentary regulations were made by men of the minority, and that is na- i1ral. for the minority is ever on the aggressive. while the majority is on the defensive. Politics, like war, favors the audacious Tom Reed was never half so great as In the Forty secOut.