The National tribune., 1911-02-23
CHANCES FOR REPUBLICANS
Their Familiarity With the Rules
Will Plant Thorns in the DEM
ld -Hr2I ~
ocratic' Way.

Look speedily for renaissance of
industry among the members of the
House. The great Mann filibuster will
stimulate it,, That feat has demon
strated how members can attain infiu-
ence and advantage by knowing how
to Proceed SHE gets the prestige that
a liUn-tamer has among the small boys
at the circus, when he is able by sheer
intelligence to tie the House of Rep
.resentatiyes into hard knots. But the
member who Is wise abbut the rules
and practices can do much more than
that. He can get his bill up, or per-
haps he can antagonize bad bill sue
cessfully.
1t has been an adage around the
Capitol that Representatives lose lot
of advantage by failing to familiarize
themselves with the rules. But knowl-
edge of that kind comes only from hard,
constant grinding. Most of your law
makers would prefer to spend theft
time telling and hearing good anecdotes
in the cloakrooms or at participating in
the functions of gayety which abound
at Washington in these degenerate days.
Most of them will continue 80 to do,
but there will be a handful, perhaps
a score, who will now "go to 1t" and
see how well they can equip themselves
in a parliamentary way before the next
House of Representatives assemblies.
do IL from sheer necessity. A House
organization is often placed on the de-
fensfve. 1t must justify itself at every
stage, have it's reasons, and be able TO
advance sound parliamentary laws for
its procedure. The veteran Republi-
can members will Immediately turn
mischief makers when they find them
selves in the minority and without leg
islative responsibility. But there has
81
many of the old men have been left
at home. and there is to be SO many OPP
portunities during the next few years
for making careers in the House of
Representatives, that lot of the young
er lawmakers see the prospects and
will become rules students in the hope
of furthering their ambitions.
The continuation of one party in
House control for many years and the
perpetuation there of small oligarchy
of leaders discouraged the great bulk
of Representatives from hard, careful
work in the preparation and achieve
ment of legislation. What was the use
The Democrats could see no advantage
in industry. The Republican leaders
would give them no opportunity. 1t
would have been the same, of course
if the Democrats had been in power
long time. The Reed rules had estab-
lished a successful mode of procedure
Why modify them? But the same rules
which fettered the individual Repre-
sentative had discouragements for the
now Republican member. He soon
found that his chief function as a we'll
disciplined Republican was simply to
go along. The leaders must be follow
ed. ~ 1t was for the advantage of the
party. The country approved. At cleo
ton 'after1C election Republicans were
winning by handsome majorities
-" The Reed Rules.
These things should not be said al
together to the discredit of the regime
that has held sway in the House since
1894.ld 1t was; useful regime Public
opinien saHetioned it in the place Of
theiold practice. where the 6libusterer
wasea!l powerful and where Democrats
had1 been exercising tyrannical author
ity.- THE best features of the Reed re-
form are still retained. The counting
of sauorum.i for which Speaker Reed
was pilloriedli is now absolutely ortho-
doxiand non-Rartisan. Any Representa-
tive, of whatever party would be boot
ed down byi his own political asso-
ciates, for urging nowadays that he
could stay in the hall of the House
and by refusing to answer to his name
be accounted absent.
The general structure of the Reed
rules are still retained, but the power
of the Speaker in actual administration
has been tremendously curtailed. The
organization of the House now does
not contribute SO much to the mainte-
nance of his absolute leadership as 1t
used to do. 1t will contribute less to
the Speakers leadership. in the next
House, when he will not exercise the
power of naming the committees. Here
after the Speaker of the House must
MAINTAIN, the leadership of his party
by sheer ability more than by artificial
methods.
The revolution In the rules has aug
mented the power and the authorize of