The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-22
WHO ARE THE LEADERS
 ON FLOOR OF CONGRESS?
BY SID NEY ESPEY

Washington, January 21.-(Special.)- Visitors to- the galleries of the House of Representatives often puzzle the guides by asking to have pointed out to them the republican leaders, and the question invariably leads to discussion. News paper correspondents frequently preface their stories by saying, "the leaders have agreed on this or that legislative programme, without naming the leaders. That there are leaders is unquestionable, but there is generally but one leader in charge of an important bill.
 As matter of fact. the speaker of the House is the recognized leader of his party, and he finds way to make his leadership effective. This is the first Congress, however, in which the speaker of the House has had this prerogatlve not greatly curtailed. It was the speakers leadership that brought about the issue of "Cannonism" which proved so disas- trous to many republicans in the Mo- vember election, and made prominent the demand for a committee on committees, which threatened to give the democrats
 in the next House all kinds of trouble.
 Next to the speaker the most important member on the floor is the chairman Of the ways and means committee. In this Congress he is Representative Payne of New York. He is the member of the House to make the motion to adjourn at the close of the days session. He Is the one who says whether or not the House will do business in the early days of the session, when the legislative programme is being arranged. Chairman Payne is always in his seat when the session opens, and is present when the House is ready to adjourn. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, when budgets from the several committees have been re- ported and are up for consideration Then the leadership spreads out so 10 speak, and the honor is passed along the line.
 The ways and means committee is charged with all legislation having for it's purpose the raising of revenue by i'm ports and internal taxation. It Is a priv ieged committee, and always has the right of way, except when the election committees have contested election cases to report. These committees, of which there are three, are of the highest priv ilege because they have charge of cases affecting the right of members, and can get the floor at any time. The next com mttee in importance is that of rules, which formulates the legislation and it's chairman, Representative John Dalzell of Pennsylvania, takes the leadership whenf ever he has a report to make. Special orders are reported from the rules com
 nittee under which measures are con- sldered out of their order, thereby giv ing them the right of way All of the most important bills reported from com mttees, such as the tariff bill. the postal savings bank bill, the omnibus public building bill. all bills that are provoca- tive of long debate, are brought up un- der special orders from the rules com- mittee. It was the immense power ex- ercised by the rules committee which prompted the insurgents fight on Speak CT Cannon, which led to his removal from that committee, and the election of the committee by the House last year. The committee, however, still retains it's priv ileged character.
 Following in order is the appropriations committee, which has control of Uncle Sam's purse strings Representative James A. Tawney of Minnesota, who was defeated for renvmination and who has served IS years in Congress, is chairman. When the budgets are before the House he takes the leadership and guides the money bill through the parliamentary shoals. 1t is no child's play, for he must keep strict watch on his collea gues, or they will undo much of his work, and swell the appropriations by securing adoption of amendments. W