The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-06
KANSAS C0AAENT
SENTIMENT AND HOUSE RULES

SENTIMENT AND HOUSE RULES.
Congressman "Vic" Murdoch of
Kansas wants to revise the rules OF
the house of representatives and re-
form the methods of legislation gen.
orally. A most commendable under
taking If done along practical lines.
Mr.. Murdoch has written an enter
tanning magazine article, giving the
alleged history of "a Congressman
First Bill" to demonstrate the
necessity for a change. But Mr.. Muir
dock gives his bill the number, 1854,
and at the same time finds fault with
the system under which he was COM
PEELED to ask for unanimous consent
to pass it. 1t required several weeks
of anxiety and heart-burning be-
fore the new member could get his
own consent to humble his proud
spirit to ask the speaker for recogni-
ton to make his motion.
Mr.. Murdoch was unfortunate in
the number he attached to his bill II
he wished to make a profound I'M
preston and a clinching argument
against the old system of legislating.
He demands the right of each men-
Der to have his bills called UP in their
order, read, explained to the house
and then voted upon. That seems
fair, but where would Mr.. Murd ock
have been with his bill, had that sys-
tenn prevailed? Suppose 1t should
lohC SClA " JSdQ AAAC OAAAs
twenty minutes for the new member
to make his speech, give the opposi-
ton ten minutes to ask questions and
forty minutes to call the roll and
record the votes of the 391 mem
mers; q very simple problem in null
DUPLICATION and division would show
that it would have taken just Is years.
seven months, two weeks and two
days for the house to reach bill num-
Der 1854, even If there were nothing
else for congress to do and there were
no long speeches nor an attempt at
quire just 1.412,320 minutes to put
through 1854 bills on this pro-
gramme. Counting six hours for q
session. six days for each week, four
weeks for each month and twelve
months for each year, Mr.. Murdoch
just 23,43S hours and 40 minutes, or
1929 days, or 654 weeks or 1853
months or 10 years, seven months and
two weeks before he could have had
the opportunity to make the motion
to take up his bill and let the house
vote on it. And he would have to
work on Christmas and Fourth of
July too.
The anxious mayor of Weather.
vile would have had to wait for Vic.
to be elected seven times on the
promise that he would get that bill
lHIOuSh COnSIOSS, anu his OppOncHl
could beat him seven times because Of
his failure to get that bill through be-
fore he could reply to the anxious in
quiries from home as to the fate of
the bill and his fidelity in looking af-
ter the peoples interests.
Vic writes almost as entertainingly
as does William Allen White and his
story of the New Members First Bill
is quite as pathetic as that of Bud
Simpkin's stone bruise by Bill White.
1t is just about as good a guide for
legislative reform we should imagine,
as many of Whites stories of chill
dren's troubles. grievances and over
wrought sensitiveness. If Murdoch
proposes to really reform congress,
we would advise him to forget his
childish sorrows over stone bruises,
stubbed toes and broken heart when
the girl in thegnext block walked
home from school with his mortal
enemy.-Congressm D. r. Anthony
in the Leavenworth Times.