Omaha daily bee., 1910-07-17

trfhurfuR either effort or substance ana
without any more knowledEs than the
tramp had concerning the locomotive.
When Lincoln became PRESIDENT the sale
Of public lands had 80 fallen or that the
receipts but little more than paid for the
administration OF the land office. He rec
commended the homestead laws and dona-
ton Of alternate sections to the railroads.
and il was such legislation mat opened
the way to the settlement q the great
west That was a means 70 an end. and
after IL had brought results the policy OF
giving away the public domain was aban-
doned. II was abused all laws are
abused.
Twenty years ago we began the policy
OF conservation. and by statute in 1sss we
withdrew an the arid lands thought to be
capable OF irrigation. and authorized the
director OF the geological survey to select
sites for reservoirs. I took much interest
IN that legislation and helped to enact IL.
But in two years there was a great pro-
test from the western states that their de-
velopment had been arrested. and the hard
est fight I ever had IN congress was
against the absolute repeal OF that act
had charge Of the sundry civil bill in the
house and made the fight against the
amendment adopted in the senate repeal
ing the entire act. After a long contest
we compromised. repeating that part OF
the act Withdrawing all the lands from set
Element. but preserving that part which
withdrew the sites for reservoirs. That
legislation was wiser than the west real
/ lied at the time. for ii is on those Identical
sites that we are now constructing the
great reservoirs for the greatest irrigation
scheme ever undertaken BY man. We have
already expended more than S50O00,OO0 on
this great scheme. and a few weeks ago
congress authorized the loan q S2o 600 Oo0
more to the reclamation fund to complete
existing projects.
1 II was also nearly twenty years ago that
we gave the president power TO Withdraw
lands for national forest reserves. and we
now have .1o.000.O0o acres OF such reserves.
President Roosevelt withdrew several mil
lion acres OF public lands to protect and
conserve water-power sites. coal lands and
oil lands President Taft following the
same policy, doubted the power OF the ex-
ecurive in such conservat ton and to be en-
tirely safe recommended legislation giving
such authority. The legislation has been
enacted and the president has again with.
drawn the lands. making the conservation
doubly certain as authorized by law a.
wen as by executive order.
RuIes of the House.
We have much loose talk about the rules
OF the house as though they were 9f re
cent origin. instead OF being in the mair
as old as the congress and even older, FOL
: Thomas jefferson prepared his manual FOL
; the senate from a treatise on parliamentar.
practice he secured in Europe. The rule
4
code Of procedure so as TO enable a larg
body of men to transact business in or
DERBY manner protect each member in hi
rights and at the same time not permit
) beIligerent minority to block the proceed
ings nor merciIess majority to ride roug
: shod over the minority.
; Some of the ablest and fairest member
u we have ever had in public life have cor
e rrtbuted 70 this code of rules. The custor
: has been to adopt the rules from one cor
gress to another. because they were cor
Z sidered as practicable any that could
e devised. They are not partisan, and neve
Y have been. They are the laws OF the hOus
8 OF representatives for the government I
q that body, as much as the statutes are Il
e the people. Men desiring to secure result
u in legislation have been able to aecompIis
e much, while men who were little interests
in general legislation have either devote
their time TO some pet private measure an
lie complained because they could not pass
= or they have found the means Of attractin
N attention to obstruction or efforts to r
u form the practice of parliamentary pr
E ceedings in general
ID Effect OF the Rules
lie As a rule. the majority Of members STUD
" the rules to secure results in Iegislatio
49, haarr W
X attacked the rules with little study and
Re the easiest way to attract attention al
8. make up for their deficiency In gener
m legislative work As a member OF the hou
" OF representatives for thirty-five veal
a sometimes on the majority side and som
lie times on the minority side of the house,
L. have found the rules sufficient to secu
iii results. 1 was a member OF the commit
be on rules in the FIfty-frst congress wi
Id Speaker Reed and William Mckinley.
then had to modify the rule for a quoru
sr to enable the speaker 70 count membe
1 who would make motions and then refu
ne to respond to their names when the r
T. was called That modification was ma
he in constitutional way, reported from {
w COMMITTEES on rules and adopted by a N
in iority of the house. That was simply
nd check an endless filibuster by the minor
. IndA DoaSted II WOnid not permit me N
ng jority to do the business congress "
elected 70 do. Reed was denounced as
car. and the hysterical cry went all o.
IL the land But the majority changed a
ar the democrats came into control tt
* adopted the so-ealled Reed rules after
"a session OF trying 70 get along without the
ID We have had another season OF hyste
lot over the rules. Astounding in more ignoral
lgs than knowledge A small percentage OF
A. political majority went over TO the politi
ter minority and created a hybrid majority
an change the rules and create a new ca
m mittee en- rules In doing this they
M mitted 1t was revolution--a rather strai
IS admission for a majority OF a law-mak
-r4 body-to defy the law created for its c
ion troll while making laws for the people
bin obey. II mob spirit is invoked in max
nd law. il is difficult to draw the line agai
TO- mob spirit to resist laws made by 81
tho body.
To But there have been changes in the ru
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