Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-10
Some Things You Want to Know
The American O-Ongress-POwer Of Committee On Rules.

No other legislative body in the world
has a committee clothed with so much
power as is vested IN the committee on
rules Of the Americap house OF representa-
tives. The catalogue vi the things Il may
do Is a long one; the list Of things It may
not do Is exceedingly short. h parlia-
mentary world has adopted. as the result
Of centuries Of experience. the doctrine that
every deliberative body must have some
system Of checks whereby a sudden or i'm.
patient majority is prevented from riding
rough-shod over the minority. This system
usually takes the form Of a constitution or
set Of rules which provides that some
things shall not be done except by a two
thirds vote; thus being inflexible enough
to prevent an exasperated majority from
invading the rights OF the minority, yet
yielding enough to guarantee full power in
times Of great stress.
Nominally the house Of representative
has such rules. on the face Of things there
are many safeguards for the minority. But
by a long process OF evolution and interpre-
tatlon there has developed in the house a
committee OF five members which has the
power to let down every barrier so that
the dogs of the majority may feast at will
upon the bones OF the minority. This com
mittee can aid the majority to 90 its worst
when tbat majority happens to be with
them; and, on the other hand. when. in
the course Of legislative events, It happens
that a combination OF insurgents and the
minority makes a majority, this committee
lean render the majority as helpless as a
set OF "two-thirds' rule can make it. This
committee enables the house organization
to eat It's cake and have 1t. too.
The committee on rules nearly always
acts bye majority. so that In reality three
men are the custodians of its extraordinary
powers. One OF them is the speaker: the
other two are always his most faithful,
tried and true adherents, and have been
termed the speakers assistants. One would
no more expect to see one of them 7oting
against the speaker in the session of the
committee than he would expect to see the
minority in the house support a special
rule for its own undoing.
With the power to exempt the majority
from every handicap imposed by the regu-
lar rules. the while insuring It every pro-
lection that the existence of such rules
affords. when other forces some temporar-
lily into the saddle, this great triumvirate
has become the most remarkable body of
men in all the legislative assemblies of
the world. 1t can give its side of the
question every advantage of the practical
absence of the parliamentary havens of
! refuge for the other side, and yet render
the other side as helpless as a child, even
If there is for the moment an opposition
majority.
1t can burn away every parliamentary
barrier when it desires freedom from such
restrictions, and restore them In all their
strength when they serve their purpose.
It is a great power indeed. Yet it is a
/ nnurGr that the nart11far cif,ratfnn In Nha
American house of representatives seems
to warrant. 1t was not suddenly assumed,
but has been the growth of sixty con-
crosses. Democrats and republicans alike
have in turn aided in its development,
and each party has roundly denounced It.
The real complaint, however, does not lie
against the power vested in the committee
Most men believe it essentia that 1t should
be so. Applying this form as a corrective
against a recalcitrant minority and going
no fugther than absolutely necessary, the
while protecting the minority The commit
tee could justify it's every act. But the
trouble has been that the majority of the
committee on rules usually is as impatient
and exasperated as the majority OF the
house and is willing to go just as far as
that majority will permit. Yet when II
knows that the minority and the insur-
gents constitute a majority it may deny
to them every advantage it gave to its
own friends.
A few examples Of the things the COM
mittee on rules can do when backed by
the majority will give some indication
Of the extent Of it's power. 1t can bring
in a rule taking a bill from the hands OF
a committee and considering 1t on it's pas
sage without a single intervening motion,
even though the committee has not con-
s:dered or reported the bill. II the majority
votes for the rule the bill goes through.
An instance is the case OF a bill which
Speaker Crisp wished to be passed by the
house. It was in the hands or the COM
mittee on war claims. The rule brought in
provided that the bill be brought in and
ordered to it's passage. Protest was made,
but the speaker upheld the rule, and what
might otherwise have required a half dozen
different maneuvers was done at once.
The committee nay take up a bill the
senate has passed. bring in a rule provid-
ing that it shall be considered at once, that
it shal not be open to amendment and