Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-02

nEHOLD the House of Representatives of the peo-
II pie of the United States, the great Demos the
source of all power the basis upon which the
great superstructure of the Government rests, which
dates back to the Magma Charta and whose Immediate
ancestor was the first Parliament of Henry ". in the
fifteenth century! In Henrys Parliament, the repre-
sentatives of the people established finally and forever
that all revenue bills must originate In the lower house,
which should hold the purse of the people, and without
which not wheel in the legislative the executive the
judicial branch of the Government could turn.
1t is because of this Parliament that there is
WAYS and Means Committee in the Senate and that
when any treaty or commercial arrangement or any
thing involving the payment OF money IS intro
duced any appointment legislation proposed, the
House of Representatives raises its mighty hand, and
settles the matter according to the will of the people
through their representatives. For 1T can defeat any
measure any person, by merely declining to appro
pirate the money necessary to pay tor that measure or
person.
When this great Committee on Ways and Means pre-
sents its business the House of Representatives and
the House goes into Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union the assebage resolves
itself into body absolutely democratic as the Saxon
Witenagemot the New England town meeting. Every
symbol of popular assembage is religously observed
The Speaker leaves the chair and chairman elected
who is not the Speaker. Not even much as the
hamper the freedom of debate The Speaker goes down
to the floor and has privileges than the newest
most obscure member OF the House.
Speakers table, show that the House celebrates
without interference from anybody The mace is really
a weapon, stout wooden stick with metal head, and
used to be the avorte weapon of fighting priests OF the
Middle Ages. They were forbidden by ecclesiastical
law swords but got around the law by using the
mace terrible weapon against the armored men OF the
time. In the choice of the the type OF author
itv the idea of democracy ngidly carried out. In
the early days only few out of the whole were
authorized swords but and all OF the people
could use good stout stick and SO the weapon of their
Maeses the People chosen. When the Speaker pre-
sides and any members show signs of indulgng IN st
cuffs and will not obey the Speaker gavel the Sergeant
at Arms his deputy is directed to "show the mace.
That unctonary sezes the and marches up to the
offending members, who supposed to be awed into
good behavior at sight of this big stick.
Not long ago, when two members got into a row, and
it seemed as if blows about to be exchanged,
Speaker Cannon promptly ordered the Sergeant at
Arms to show them the mace The Sergeant took the
mace marched up to the two bellgerents and stood,
ever, had not the slightest effect, and the Sergeant
at Arms anxiousy inquired of a member sitting next,
what am to do with the mace now?'
To which the member responded in stage whisper,
"Peck EN- the head with itn
This brought down the House, and of laughter
and applause followed, in which even the be1gerens
obliged to join.
In general however, before the mace can be shown,
the members rush in and separate men whose tempers
have got the better of them who have exchanged the
lie the blow that always follows. Members engaging
in these always called before the bar OF the
House and sternly reprmanded by the Speaker, who
talks like a Dutch uncle to them and calls them by
name. This manning" is the only time member name
is used in debate He is at other times 1.-THE member
from So and So, "the gentleman from So and So"
These collisions rarely ever, occur between mem
bers anywhere except the floor of the House.
Everything is permitted in the freedom of debate nor
is member held accountable outside for anything he
may say on the floor. Through this freedom of speech
members say things they would not dare to utter else
t. TO- fS1n fba chan Cf