The Adair County news., 1912-08-07
TALK IN CONGRESS-
Where Freedom of Speech Is a
Right JeaIOuSly Guarded.
MIGHT OF THE LOWER HOUSE
The Enormous Power IL Wields by
Reason of It's Grip Upon the Purse of
the Nation-Absolute Democracy of
the Committee of the Whole.

reason OF It's Grip upon the Purse or
the Nation-Absoiute Democracy of
the Committee of the Whole.
The house OF representatives of the
people OF the United States. the great
demos. the source of all power, the
basis upon which the great super
structure of the government rests,
dates back To the Magma Charta. aHl
ITS immediate ancestor was the urst
parliament of Henry ", in tie If
teenIh century. In Henry's parh ,ment
the representatives OF the people es-
tabIiShed 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 ex-
ecutive or the judicial branch Of the
government could turn
It is because of this parliament that
there is no ways and means committee
in the senate and that when any treaty
or commercial arrangement or any
thing involving the payment Of money
- AhNA ONNNChf eAhg ApPOAANLAA~he - - -
lation is proposed. the house Of repre-
sentatives raises it's mighty hand and
settles the matter according 70 the
will of the people through their repre-
sentatives, for it can defeat any meas
ure or any person by merely declin-
ing to appropriate the money necessary
to pay for that measure or person.
When this great committee on ways
and means presents its business to the
house of representatives and the house
goes into committee of the whole
house on the state of the Union the
assemblage at once resolves itself into
a body as absolutely democratic as the
land town meeting. Every symbol Of
a popular assemblage is religioUsly OBJ
served. The speaker leaves the chair,
and a chairman Is elected who is not
the speaker. Not even so much as the
prestige of the regular presiding officer
is allowed to hamper the freedom Of
debate The speaker goes down to the
floor and has no more privileges than
the most obscure member OF the house.
The mace. the emblem of authority.
is put under the speakers table to
show that the house celebrates with
out interference from anybody. The
mace is really q weapon. stout wood
en- stick with metal head. and used
to be the favorite weapon of fighting
priests of the middle ages. They were
forbidden by ecclesiastical law 10 use
swords. but got around the law by
using the mace. a terrible weapon.
against the armOred men OF the tine.
of authority the idea Of democracy
was rigidly carried out. In the early
days only a few men out Of the whole
were authorized 70 wear swords, bur
any and all of the people could use :
good stout stick, and so the weapon
of their majesties the people was
chosen. When the speaker presiGes
and any members show signs Of IN
dulging in dSIicufs and will not obey
the speakers gavel the Sergeant-at-
arms or his deputy is directed to show
the mace" That functiOnary seiZes
the mace and marches up to the offend
ing members. who are supposed TO ne
awed into good behavior at sight Of
this big stick.
Not long ago when two members Cot
into row and It seemed as il blows
were about TO he exchanged, the
speaker promptly ordered the sergeant
alarms to show them the mace. The
Cor~,oo pt toOL- tba p,oao r,,-cl.I nm 90
the two belliSerents and stood, mace
in hand. masestically. before them.
This. however, had not the slightest
effect, and the Sergeant-at-aTms anx-
iously inquired of n member sitting
next. What am ! to do with the mace
now?"
To which the member responded in .
stage whisper. 'Teck EN- on the head
with it, -.--->-..-,-,-------
This suggestion brought down the
house, and a roar of laughter and ap-
plause followed. in which even the
beIligerents were obliged to join.
In general. however, before the mace
can be shown, the members rush in
and separate men whose teInpers have
got the better of them, who have ey
changed the lie or the blow that always
follows. Members engaging in these
rows are always called before the bar
of the house and sternly reprimandeG
by the speaker. who talks like Dutch
uncle to them and calls them by name
This naming" is the only time meIn-
ber's name is used in debate. He is at
other times the member from SO-end
So or 1.-The gentleman from So-and-so."
These collisions rarely, If ever. occur
between members anywhere except OF
the floor of the house Everything is
permitted in the freedom of debate.
nor is member held accountable out
side for anything he may say on the
floor. Through this freedom of speech
members say things they would not
dare to utter elsewhere In the ole
days duels followed the exchange OF
the lie. and the Graves-Cilley duel. the
John Randolph and Henry Clay dass
and many historical encounters t0osS
place. But in the evolution of govern
ment the principle became firmly fixed
that there must be absolute freedom