Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-17
HIT RULES
Continued From First Page.)
ershlp and control become the rightful

/ Line one WHO Ildy De CHOSEN d.
speaker. by virtue of that position. Is
invested with the duties and powers Of
presiding officer for the maintenance
of order in debate. in accordance with
the rules of the house, justly and i'm
partially, without distinction Of party
or person. AS speaker it should not be
| his function to choose measures. tc
press forward this one or to hold that
| one back, to control the exercise OF
their functions by committees. to exer
else the power of recognition at his
mere will or pleasure, to require. In
practical effect every member who
| may have a bill or resolution to urge
before the house to gain his consent
before the matter can even be called to
the attention of the house in any place
or at any time when effective action
can be had.
Speaker is All Powerful.
The speaker is given the absolute
and uncontrolled power of recognition;
from his refusal to recognize there is
no appeal; no man, therefore, can even
get upon his feet In the house to pre-
sent any measure to the house, to de-
bate it. to suggest it, to ask for vote
upon it, unless the matter be privil-
eyed, without the concurrence and con-
sent of the speaker.
BY his power of appointment, his
is the hand that deals out place and
preferment in the house and men upon
Whom he confers such place and pref
ernent, under the existing order, are
bound in ties of gratitude to this fell
ures which are of vital importance to
their constituents are dependent. in
large part. upon his will and favor so
other ties of gratitude, either in lively
expectation or favor conferred, are thus
created.
He is the leader politically of the
majority, the Trainer and director, in a
sense, of it's legislative policies. We
read in the daily papers of assurances
upon the part of the speaker that GER
tain legislation shall be put thru. AS
such leader of the majority, a position
wholly homogeneous with that of
him, or refuses to follow the lines of
policy marked out by him, is irregu-
lar an insurgent, a bolter, met with
the froWning looks of his fellows on
all sides Can the exercise Of such
power be left unchecked in the hands
of any man however able, and
however wise, and we still claim
to be representative and de-
Lucrative body? The question is not
one of the wisdom of the particular ex-
ercise of such power by a speaker the.
power itself. however well admins
tered, is destructive of the principles
upon which this house was created.
Deny it who will, as vehemently as may
be, we know and feel and the country
knows and feels, with ever increasing
that the speaker sits in such
place of unchecked power that his lit
tie finger weighs more to create and
destroy than all other influences in the
house combined.
Committees Do Bulk Of Work.
"Tle great volume of legislation is
pointed out as a reason for restriction
and choice. This volume of legislation
Is an illusery propositions 1t is true
that we have a great number of bills
but out Of the twenty
thaus and odd bills which have been
l.
say, without accurate estimate, that
80 to 80 per cent of them are purely
private bills of which but very few in
volve discussion, even in committee.
and, coming into the house for action,
by far the larger portion of them are
absolutely determined by the action Of
the committee to-$which they have
been referred The appropriation bills,
while most important, rarely invo've
partisan dispute. The members OF the
are ordinarily as eager in de-
tense of the committees action as are
those of the majority. The house does
not require to be defended against it
self by the interposition of the speak
sr's authority upon these bills. You
can almost count upon the fingers of
your two hands the vital and far
measures of public policy
which have come before this congress
and the last, involving any long con-
tinued discussion, and in these the
house needed no protection from
guiding hand.
Reed Rules Not To Blame.
Some people seem to think the
Reed rules are the source of the whole
trouble. The fact is the Reed rules
in one direction precise
y the object which we are seeking to
accomplish now in another direction.
The minority. by reason of foolish
in the rules and narrow
technical construction of them, was
able to hinder and impede the will of
he majority, which, in any represent
alive assembly must be the control
ing power. The Reed rules made it
oy the application of common sense
IN the counting of a quorum and the
absurd abuse of the motion to adjourn
and to take a recess were pointed
put by the gentleman from Pennsyl-
vania. but in removing these time
abuses and leaving intact the
power of the speaker, we greatly In
creased his strength and diminished
he power of opposition. The po.seI 10
ilibuster, to obstruct and to hold up
legislation gave to the minority or to
any member, in case of need, weapon
Of offence with which recognition
could be compelled and measures
'orced to consideration. When this was
aiken away the speaker was left with
out let or hinderance to the enforce
nent of his will You have rightfully
aiken from the neck of the house the
abuse of technical construction Com
olete the work by taking from the
Freedom of the house the unreined
power of its servant, the speaker"
For Constipation.