New-York tribune., 1911-01-01


mentioned Gambetta, but 1t would
,osslble TO find a much closer ana
- "a SIR. Lowther in an American
- fame once covered a continent.
u rsrhaps still does--I mean Mr.. Reed.
-. tom" Reed Of Washington and
sT.,,A notifies. Mr.. Reed, i is true, was
g. more tyrannical than it is possible
a. the speaker of the House OF Com
ms 70 be. You must make allowance
a. circumstances and for the radical
s,zsrences in the nature OF the two
.~css which bear the same name. Mr..
pAed had a sense Of humor, as Mr..
,.,,ther has. and the American some
..r,es allowed his sense OF humor TO run
,vay with him, which the Englishman
- does. II never would have &C.
.,,-sd 70 this or any other English
s,saker 20 set up mastery over legis-
,a,,on. or even over the business Of the
uonse such as Mr.. Reed established and
h,s successor has pevpetuated and even
strengthened.
once asked Mr.. Hit, the accom-
r,,sbed chairman Of the House Com
r.,,,Ae on Foreign Affairs, how he man.
.rsd 70 get his bills through the House.
Ts,s was at the time when MIR. Reed had
-eonso,ldated his great power rs Speaker
.rs had the House thoroughly in hand.
a. Peed and Mr.. Hit were great
friends. ard ] imagined this might make
,bjpgs easier for a chairman in Mr.
yirfs rosition. Whether 1t did or not
rsu NAV Judge from his answer:
~9f course 10 requires a little diplo-
-~srv So congested is the business Of
the House that 20 reach a bin in its
,,,-,eviesi order on the calendar would
-,ks about fourteen years But l will
tel YOU what do. wait till some after
poen toward the close Of business. short
" before s o'clock. when few members
are present. and I look about the House
% see if any member is -here who is
likely 10 oppose the particular bill l
mink II important 10 pass. II IS my
bus ness 10 know my opponents. II l
sss no one J rise and move that this
bil be made 2 special order for z speci-
fed Gav some six weeks heace. II there
Is no objection. the Spec Her declares
tht motion carried. Probably nobody
present has any idea what the bill IS.
The effect OF such molten is that N!
m on the appointed day has precedence
ard may be brought Up whenever I
thirk best Again, I consiier the state
ef the House II would be too much 70
expect the bill 70 pass unepposed in all
eases. but zt least IL has g fair chance
ard 3 majority Of our frierGs are pretty
certain 10 be there, and 50 the bill goes
through The Speaker has such . con-
frol over business that q pIrty measure,
or MEASURE OF which he md the lead
ing members Of the party approve, is
pretty safe. I need not tell YOU that
fereizn affairs are not those in which
the greater number of. Representatives
are the most interested"
! used 20 think Mr.. Reeds physical
bulk gave him. in g measure, or hsl ped
20 give him, his mastery over the House.
He was nearly as big as the President
OF to-day When ne rose, re seemed to
III the desk and almost the hall itself.
lie lowered above the three hundred
and more Representatives. dominated
the whole body: sometimes domineered
over il. Who could dispute with such
8 mountain Of humanity as that? From
the slow movement OF the huge body
and the siowness Of his speech the un-
wary were apt 10 think the mind also
was slow. But he was one OF those
rather unusual men who speak slowly
and think quickly; IS his assailants
ron the floor soon found. Like Ham
let he would speak daggers, but use
none. But his enemies went down be-
fore him.
a fault In most presiding officers in
fhs legislatures. state or national in
America is the excessive use of the gavel.
Mr. Reed had il, but in less degree. II
is e vice which has grown. The last
tine I was in the House OF Representa-
tves Sir. Speaker Cannon pounded away
ss II he were breaking stones on the
road The din was incessant and quite
useless. Members did not stop for the
pounding. They stopped when they had
made as much trouble as they thought
efficient for the purpose. or when they
we're tired. II is q turbulent body, no
doubt You see the Speaker erect and
half a dozen or q dozen men on their
feet az the same time. In the House
O. Commons when the Speaker rises
every one else keeps his seat and Is
glued 70 II till the Speaker resumes his
chair His rising Is a signal which no
man disobeys There are scenes Of
tumuIt. no doubt, az times, and the
House becomes volcanic, but am speak
ing Of disorder as q habit. 1t is habit
in Washington-in the Senate as well as
in the House-and II is not habit &t
Wsstminster.
One often hears It said that the Sen
st9 Is the most digniied legislative body
IN the world. I will not 60 to the other
extreme and say II is one Of the least,
but il IS certain that the European Or
server Is not impressed by its deport-
msnt. There also, as in the House may
be seen half a dozen members all up to-
gether-competing for the attention OF
TIE President. and continuing TO COM
pete after he has made his choice. The
noisy sumrnonses 10 the pages and the
racing Of the pages 10 answer them add
nothing TO dignity I suppose the Presi-
cent Of the Senate. when he is VICE
President Of the United States and
therefore not d member Of the Senate
has less authority than has an elected