Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-28
STUDIES THE PROCEDURE
Has Had Much Experience in Pre-
siding Over House.
WAYS DIFFERENT IN SENATE
In the Latter Body a Member Can
not Be Taken From the Floor
When He Strays From
the Question.

Vice PreSident-elect James s. Sherman
Is learning the ropes of his new job.
Almost every day last week Mr.. Sher-
man spent an hour or two in the Senate
chamber watching the actions of Vice
President Fairbanks as that officer pre-
sided over the proceedings of the Senate
watching closely. too. for it is no easy
matter to hold down that job successfully
Mr.. Sherman has had much experience
as a presiding officer of the House. He is
one of the chosen few to which Speaker
Cannon intrusts the gavel on many occa-
sions when he wants to go out into the
cloakroom and have a smoke or spend a
pleasant half hour in the barber shop.
And Mr.. Sherman knows how to preside
over the House. He has demonstrated
that on several occasions, when an iron
hand was necessary to maintain order in
the committee of the whole on the state
Of the union.
Two Different Procedures.
Presiding over the House and presiding
over the Senate. however are two separ-
ate and distinct things, and Mr.. Sherman
knows 1t. In the first place. the rules of
procedure in the two bodies are entirely
different. and In the second place it isn't
customary in the upper branch for the
chair to speak earnestly to members and
gently, but firmly remove them from the
floor When senator gets the floor he
can keep 1t as long as he pleases. 1t is
the courtesy of the body. as jealousy
guarded as anything could be.
Still, there are many ways of doing the
same thing. By pleasant language and
gentle coaxing the Vice President can fire.
Quent1y prevail upon senators to do things
70 do xr,if II
the faintest shadow Of success. Mr.. Sher-
man will have to forget the short, sharp
sentences that he has been in the habit
of using when ruling over the House as
smooth, Understanding phrases calculated
to pour oil on troubled waters rather than
to stir them up to further bubbling and
churning.
Mr.. Sherman spent several hours in the
Senate chamber yesterday. This time he
got hold of Secretary Bennett and had a
long and earnest conversation with him.
For quite while during the reading of
eulogies on deceased senators and repre-
sentatives Mr.. Bennett could be seen
over In the corner on a big sofa waving
his arms this way and that before Mr..
Sherman. and occasionally 1t appeared as
il he were illustrating the welding of a
gavel.
An Illustrative Incident.
An incident occurred last winter which
serves to illustrate very graphically what
Mr.. Sherman will be up against. In the
House when a member Is not combining
his remarks to the subject in hand 1t is
nearly always possible for the chair, If
he feels so disposed and is anxious to ex-
pedite the transactions of the public
business, to make that member keep his
remarks "germane" or make him stop
remarking at all.
i, avid Ivv~ hat ,r,,,v,,
thought could be done in the Senate last
year. Anyhow, one day, the hour of e
o'clock having arrived, the chair laid
before the Senate the unfinished bust
to be Mr.. Heyburns bill for the revision
Of the laws Of the United States. Now
it also happened that Senator Stone, af-
fectionately called Cum Shoe Bill Of Mis-
souri," ever since Senator Tillman in
vented the nickname in that famous min
strel speech Of his, was in the midst of a
long and erudite speech on the subject
Of finance. 1t was plain to be seen that
he was talking for home consumption.
When the hour Of o'clock arrived he
still had another hour to go.
In the customary way, one of his demo-
cratic colleagues Immediately asked that
the Hepburn measure be laid aside until
Mr.. Stone concluded. But Mr.. Hepburn
under the rules his desire had to be
granted. Then an oldtime republican
went up to Mr.. Hepburn and whispered
in his ear, with the result that in min
ute up jumped that insistent senator and
said he was willing. after all. to let Mr..
Stone proceed.
mo. thank YOU said Mr.. Stone.
So the Vice President announced that
the bill for revision Of the laws was be-
fore the Senate for discussion or action.
And Mr.. Stone Continued.
Mr. President" said Mr.. Stone. speak
ing Of the revision Of the laws, in my
opinion the recent financial panic was
caused by" and away he went with
his speech for the space Of another hour,
IL not longer. In fact. he seemed to
have got his second wind in the brief
time he had been delayed.
Mr.. Fairbanks sat quietly in his chair
and so did Mr.. Hepburn. Mr.. Stone had
the floor. and there was nothing to be
dana about IL