Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-09
CONGRESS- SECRET LAID BARE
MR.. DIVERSIFIED REVEALS
LEGISLATIVE METHODS.
Tells of Incompetency of Associates
in Engineering Bills Through
to Observation-Disclosures View"

Representative Jesse Overstreet of In
dianapoiis last night before the Mer
Club of the Mount Pleasant Congresa-
tional Church discussed An Inside View
of How Legislation Is Enacted
The speaker told what congressman
were, how they were nominated and elect
ed, the many different types OF men IN
the House. representing as many different
constituencies. and told of the many en-
barassments a member endures.
Mr. Oyerstreet told his audience that UP
10 last Saturday there had been intro
duced in the present session 800 Senate
bills and - 800 House bills: he explained
that 50 per cent OF all bills were private
bills, consisting of pensions, claims, bridge
bills, various waterway improvement mat
tiers, etc, and 20 per cent were public
bills.
He explained the method of Introducing
bills in the Senate and House and told
Why senator's arose and personally intro
duced their bills and had them imme-
diately referred to committees, and why
the members OF the House dropped their
bills into the basket, or. as the members
say, the hopper.
Mr.. Overstreet then proceeded TO follow
up a bill after its introduction through
subcommitt ees and full committees: lie
explained why some bills were privileged
and others not; he showed how the ar
preparation bills are made up, how tie
departments make the estimates and how
the first skeleton is framed. He explained
fully the pension legislation OF the
country.
Mr. OverStreet spent some time trying
! to show his audience why rules cf the
| House We're necessary in order to trans
act business and spoke at length con
corning the hostility 10 the rules lie
said the House always had insurgents
and always would have them because
there were always members Of Congress
who We're offended because they could not
get their measures considered.
Many Illustrations were given TO snow
that In most cases il is the fault OF the
! member and not the rules because OF
! bers OF Congress did not know how TO
| get things done and that they did not fo'-
! low up their bills after Introduction, but
| permitted them to die in committee.
! He told of a member spending one en-
! tire session trying to get "A simple little
| bridge bill through, and by way of COM
! p3riSon another member got precisely the
| same kind OF bill through both branches
| of Congress in forty-eight hours One
| knew how and the other did not.
The closing features Of the address told
OF the demands made upon members OF
Congress and of the many embarrasS-
ments encountered. One man became
! offended because certain member would
! n [ travel lUo miles or more III another
! state and examine public records in v hicn
| the constituent was personally ana IMAM
| cially Interested. Others demanded l.
copy OF every government publication pat
out by every department. Another want
F! ed the Congressional Library mailed to
! him \ young and struggling lawyer
wanted the government 10 furnish MIN
! library bound in sheep.
Twelve new members were added to the
| club membership.