The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1912-07-26
talk IN CONGRESS
Where Freedom Of Speech Is a
Right jealousy Guarded.


MIGHT OF THE LOWER HOUSE
The Enormous Power II Wislds b,
Reason Of Its Grip Upon the Purse oi
the Natior-Absoluts Democracy oi
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, and
its immediate ancestor was the 1rst
parliament ct Henry w., in the If.
teenth century. III Henry's parliament
the representatives Of the people es-
tablished 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.
| ~ 10 OcCuuSc VI lulS pukluucuL tuaS
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
is introduced. any appointment or legis-
lation is proposed. the house Of repre-
sentatives raises its mighty hand and
settles the matter according to 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
Saxon Witenagemot or the New Eng.
land town meeting. Every symbol of
a popular assemblage is religiousy OBJ
served. The speaker leaves the chair,
and chairman Is elected who Is not
the speaker. Not even 50 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 tlhr house.
The mace, the emblem Ut authority,
is put under the speakers table to
show that the house deliberates with
n,vt tntorforouco from, anv1aOdv Tho
mace Is really weapon. a stout wood
en- stick with metal head, and used
to be the favorite weapon of lighting
priests of the middle ages. They were
forbidden by ecclesiastical law to use
swords. but got around the law by
using the mace, a terrible weapon.
against the armored men of the time.
In the choice of the mace as the type |
Of authority the idea Of democracy
was rigidly carried out In the early
days only few men out of the whole
were authorized to wear swords. but
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 presides
and any members show signs of in
dulging in fsticuffs and will not obey
the speakers gayel 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 be
awed into good behavior at sight of
this big stick.
Not long ago, when two members got
into row and 1t seemed as II blows
were about to be exchanged, the
speaker promptly ordered the sergeant
alarms to show them the mace The
sergeant took the mace. marched up to
the two belligerents and stood. mace
In hand. majestically. before them.
This. however, had not the slightest
effect, and the sergeant-at-arms anx-
Iously inquired of n member sitting
next "What am to do with the mace
1ow?"
To which the member responded In a
stage whisper. "Peck 'em on the head
With itr'
This suggestion brought down the
house. and roar of laughter and ap-
)lause followed. In which even the
,elligerents were obliged to join.
In general. however. before the mace
AN be shown. the members rush fn
md separate men whose tempers have
,ot the better of them, who have ex-
hanged the lie or the blow that always
ollows. Members engaging in these
ows are always called before the bar
4 the house and sternly repriuanded 6
y the speaker, who talks like Dutch I
Incle to them and calls them by name.
This naming" Is the only time mem- G
'er's name Is used in debate. He is at
ther times ''the member from So-and-
o" or 1.-THE gentleman from So-and-so."
These collisions rarely. II ever. occur
etween members anywhere except on
he floor of the house. Everything is !.
in the freedom Of debate.
or is a member held accountable out
Ide for anything be may say on the
oor. Through this freedom of speech
,embers say things they would not p
are to utter elsewhere In the old
avs duels followed the exchange Of
be lie. and the Graves-C Cilley duel. the .
ohm Randolph and Henry Clay duel v
nd many historical encounters took q
lace. But in the evolution Of govern u
tent the principle became firmly 6xed
nat there must be absolute freedom
I debate and that no man could be
eld responsible outside for anything Il
I'd on the fIoor Of either house And