The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-04-05

the house. and, as though this
ere not sufficient he has been virtu
Ily the committee on rules-the
[hairman OF II himself and selecting
Is associates thereon Through this
bmmittee the speaker could secure
complete suspension of the rules.
flect bills TO be considered and cut
n amendment and debate As if this
*cre not sufficient. the speaker exer-
tsed discriminatory power In
kcognizing and refusing 10 recognize
LENDERS upon the floor No such ar
4trary and enormous powers are
ested in any other officer under q
supposedly free government. He was
position TO dictate the laws Of
nation. and did exercise II. Further
lore, he exercised IL TO defeat pro-
Fessive measures, TO favor special In
&rests. and did so in an arrogant and
Migrant manner. The continuance OF
&ich system. administered by such
n tyrant, il not relieved by a revolu-
NON in the house, would sooner or
tier have been relieved by drastic
Elton in the country.
II The proper functions of the speaker
|ficer. and, as such. he should be
bsolutely impartial. and, as far
IS possible, disinterested. Even
hough he were disinterested and
Impartial, except as a party leader.
b. one would ever think of
&ving him control Of the congress
3onal destinies OF every other mem
cr of the house.
n The responsible party leader should
hand, as member. upon the floor
b the house, and lead his party by
lis wisdom, his ability and his power
b maintain himself as such. II he
hiled in these respects, another mem.
Ter Of his party would take his place;
md il his party failed in these re.
poets it would pay the penalty by
bss OF control The theory of free
representation would be restored. The
BUSINESS of the house would be con-
jucted and expedited in an orderly
lay under parliamentary rules OF
Procedure.
The office of speaker presiding
tver the deliberations and the pro-
Iedure of the house should and would
Hc ain officer of great dignity and
Ionor. but entirely removed from the
Iartisan passions. the 5ittcrnn ss and
bic responsibility entering into and
Treating the issues uDoD which he
Eclld be called upon 10 rGle IL has
been suggested that Asher Kinds.
khe present parliamentarlan of the
ouse, and the speakers adviser,
4ould be a suitable speaker. In ny
spinion he would make an excellent
peaker-though. OF course, others
re also available. The speaker might
sr might not be a member Of the
souse. The constitution does not re-
uire that he should be q member.
The foregoing changes are few and
imple. The house can adopt them
Whenever so disposed, and yet they
would absolutely destroy the present
Unconstitutional dictatorship Of
he speaker; would at once restore
representative government in the
house: and would set at rest com
pletely the pending contest over the
rules. II is not an untried expert
.nent, for IL is the prevailing system
In all legislatures. great and small, in
he world except the United States
house OF representatives--notably In
he British house of commons. upon
which our house Of representatives
VAS modelled
Machine politicians and stand-pat-
lers sometimes claim that the con-
rest against the autocracy OF the
speaker is not good republicanism
This is a strange notion. This con
est wps originated by Republicans
and conducted by them. The-great Is
ne that has thus been created was
treated by Republicans. The Re-
publican party has never declared in
Favor OF an autocratic speaker. and IL
hover will On the contrary the de-
lenders of this Russianized system
n recent debates on the subject
notably Dalzell and Smith-have time
knd again declared and argued that
|t was a Democratic syctem, inaug-
1rated and maintained under Demo
cratic speakers. But the American