The Washington herald., 1909-02-14


ment OF the business OF the House. IN
der the rules the great appropriation
bills are privileged. that is, they have the
right Of way. They may be called up any
time. The business OF the House is ar
ranged in this fashion:
/. Prayer b. the chaplain
Reading ard approval Of the journal
Correction Of reference Of pubic bills.
!. Disposal of business On SPEAKERS table.
5. Unfinished business
s The morning hour for the consideration of bills
called Nd b. co1amitteos team Of eoumitasesl.
!. Motions 70 90 into the COMMITTEES q the Whole
House on the State of the onion.
Z. Orders Of the day
The Chance Member Has.
The House meets at noon. The prayer
lasts three or four minutes. The approval
of the journal usually lasts five or six
minutes. Correction Of reference is over
in minute. Disposal OF business on the
Speakers table is matter usually
passed over Unfinished business is not
called up. because It would be IN the
way. Now the morning hour has ar
rived. Here the individual member
might, after the passage Of an hour.
make an independent motion, but imne-
diately the privileged appropriation bill
Is showed In and he Is shut out not day
after day, but year after year And
these appropriation bills are showed IN
thereafter with sufficient frequency 70
keep the order Of the House always from
going any farther. II business should
be lax in appropriation bills. general de
bate which accompanies them. would
be stretched out to consume tine. That
Is, the Speaker uses the great appropria-
ton bills TO block all legislation which
would be in order after them. II time
is pressing. general debate" is cut Gown
and may be cut ont entirely
Therefore, the Speaker has three dis
tinct elements Of power:
l. The pgwer % pass upon membT's p1rUoss
IN rising when the msmber is in order.
> The p0Wsr q influence through aIpeininn-nt o.
cummittess-
, Tie power to keep the Hoase from REACHING its
calsudaf-
Through an exercise OF the first power
he enables himself 10 shut Of any mo-
ton 10 which he is unfavorsbie- This
power IS used only IN event member
who is in order has the floor alone.
Through an exercise Of The second pow
er, the Speaker shapes legislation or
pigeon holes Il His suggestion is all
powerful
The third power gives him the oppor-
tunity Of obligatng members who ask
for recognition for ~unanimous consent
for inssmuch as the call Of committees
does not eventuate. unanimous con
sent IS the oniy method by which mem
bers can reach the calendar. and they
cannot obtain recognition TO ask for
unanimous consent without first seeking
it in a personal interview with the
Speaker.
Speakers Power Would Collapse.
II must be plain. then. that whatever
representation is restored 10 The body q
the House must he taken away from the
Speaker. This Is equivalent 10 saying
that IL the Individual member Of the
House Is 10 exercise his power. he must
obtain II by Wrestling il from the only
man in the body who has power I have
shown that this power IS held IN three
privileges-that Of inquisitoriaI recognI-
ti0n. control over House committee ap-
poiutments, and manipulation OF busi-
ness If any one OF these should be taken
away from the Speaker. his power win
lessen. but his greatest loss would follow
the surrender Of committee appointments.
For this, the present Speaker and any
successor would make The greatest strug-
gle
OF least Importance 10 the Speaker IS
the manipulation Of business through the
exclusion Of calls Of committees. for
while ne could not surrender This without
a loss Of power. il would lead 10 only
a gradual dissipation Of the power Of the
Speaker. The process would be an eyo-
luton The loss Of appointment Of com
mitJees would be an instantaneous col
lapse OF present plenaTy control
If Speaker Were Not Gar.
a fat prohibition Of the Speakers right
To refuse recognition because cf the pur-
pose Of the member when the member is
in order would correct one practice.
The Houses selection Of its own COM
mittees would contemplate dividing the
House into fifteen territorial districts.
nine districts 10 be made I'D OF the MEM
bers Of the majority party and six dis
tricts 10 be made Up Of tie minority
party The members Of each group
would meet and select one OF their num-
her 10 be a member Of the committee on
committees. This committee would then
select all the committees Of the House,
no member Of the selecting committee
being eligible 20 a Craftsmanship OF any
committee. After the selection Of COM
mittees. each committee would elect its
own chairman.
II on top Of this, one day in every week
was SET apart for the compulsory call Of
into which no other business
could be forced, the American people
would come into their own
Here then are the concrete suggestions
demanded in all discussions by the ad-
herents Of the present system. But 50
complete is the control Of Speaker Can
non. so absolute his rule. that. barring a
single moment just al the Inauguration 0f
a new Congress. there is not known 20
any Congressman an opportunity or
method under the present rules by which
the House could be asked. by a member
In order. % vote Up or down the pro-
posed changes
And so inordinate is his power that
while IL may prove extremely difficult 20
persuade any considerable number Of
Congressmen 70 look kindly upon the
proposed change. II Speaker Cannon
himself should grant these changes to
the House as a master bestows a favor,
the entire membership Of the House. bar
ring possibly ten men, would give them
selves over to manifestations OF Joy,
known only to and shown only by those
who have felt the supreme bliss OF long
deferred emancipation
What He Said.
From Tit-Bits
Attorney insist on an answer 70 ny
You have not told me all the
I want TO know every
thing that PASSED between YOU and Afr