The Paducah evening sun., 1910-02-23
THE LEGISLATURE
(Coutinued From Page one)

as well stay away.
Their presence in the magnificent
palace that this state has punt as
home for its lawmakers and admin
istrators, is but concession 10 the
fond old tradition popularity cher
.ished. that the citizens OF Kentucky
live under a representative system
of government. They maintain APP
pearances. these so-called statesmen,
and II may be conceded that the ap-
pearances. from a standpoint OF sar-
torial effectiveness and personal pull
chritude. are perhaps better than In
many years. IL may be the new en-
yironment Of marble corridors and
monollthic yistas has induced a spruc
ing up Of eXteriors.
-Four stand Against the People.
BE not misled by exteriors. Among
these men are not a few OF earnest
purposes and honest Ideals, IL is true;
men who would fain serve their state
with unselish devotion; men who
came to Frankfort with high resolves
and have adhered 10 them In the face
OF discoura ging odds. But those
odds-aye, there's the rub. Strangely
enough the odds do not look formid-
able numerically when expressed IN
terms OF their personal representa-
tiyes. II Is four against the crowd
Of the peoples chosen. Four men
who are strong by virtue OF unseen,
unrecorded Influences for which they
stand. They have been named IN
these columns already. but-lest We
forget-let them be named again
They are known as Sam Shackleford.
Ell Brown. Harvey McCutehen and
Graham Vreeland-and the greatest
OF these /. Vreeland.
No constituency recognized In the
laws OF Kentucky elected these men
to Office at Frankfort They were
the choice Of no primary Of her cit-
zens. No votes were cast for them
at any constitutional poll. Yet they
are here-yery much here. In and
out Of the capitol building. back
and forth from senate chamber 10
house. lettering in the lobby or clos
eted In committee rooms.
NEEDLE and Dictate.
They are here with commissions
from some source. signed and sealed
metaphorically speaking. by some au-
thority. and recognized as having
right to NEEDLE, bargain and dictate
in the framing OF statutes for the
government OF the people.
II Is the fact that this recognition
Is general among the constitutional
representatives OF the people that Is
the serious thing for citizens 10 con
slder. Why are they listened to by
the senators and members OF the
house? Why are they sought when
bills are pending in committee? why
are they pleaded with when somebody
wants a measure advanced from com
mittee TO the orders Of the day?
These are questions that the people
OF Kentucky have a right to have an
swered, and their present disposition
is to push their curiosity to the point
where an answer will be forthcoming
Possibly some light may be thrown
upon these problems before the SIS
sion has run its course.
How They Work.
In the meantime. II will be- inter
esting TO consider the modus operandi
Of th.s little group which forms the
executive body of what the Herald
has termed the third house"
In the first place II must be Oh.
served that the "third house" begins
its operations before the general as
sembly Is called to order. Il reallzep
the Importance OF being early on the
ground. In a game that has not a
few OF the elements OF a gamble In
IL, the value OF playing with loaded
, dice Is not overlooked. In this In
stance the dice are the committee.
with which lies the care OF leglsla-
tion In its infancy. and the power to
nurse or smother bills In their baby
hood.
The first work OF the third
/ "Nh"N - ~ nif AAAN ftiAAlu AnfNf
committees are composed of a ma
jority OF safe men"
The safe men" are chosen from
what is mysteriously referred to as
the organization" The organiza-
ton is another supra-constitutional
body, without exact definition and
Ignoring wholly party lines. II II
made up of individuals who stanG
together for their mutual interests.
and other interests that are amonp
the shadows which overhang the
capitol.
The best example OF the organiza.
ton will be found in the senate
where. as a matter OF fact, the third
house does most of its work. The
senate being a compact body Of but
thlrty eight members. as compared
with the one hundred who compose
the house. il is more easily handled
out OF the thirty-eight at the present
session. twenty wear the tag of ths
organization, and respond TO the
beck and nod OF the Big Four. who
represent the executive function of
the third house" These twenty are:
H. w. Arnett, Conn Linn.
T. ). Beard G. w. Mathers,
Joe Bosworth, G. w. Nagle.