The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-09
ORGANIZING THE HOUSE.


(The Naton.)
The congress which meets in special session next
Monday will be the first in which the two dominant
parties have exactly equal representation in the
house. There have been other congresses In which
third parties or independents held the balance of
power. notably the one Of 1ssl-1ss3, in which ten
Grecnbackers in the house and one independent.
David Davis Of Illinois, in the senate occupied that
not altogether envable position, but the house of
the Sixty fifth congress is alone In giving party
n plurality, however narrow. This condition has
produced near panic among some newspapers and
public men. who the house helplessly drifting.
because OF inability to transform Itself from a mob
OF gentlemen into legislative body. How
there be house without speaker and how
there be n speaker without party to elect him?
If no other house so4equally divided between
two parties. nevertheless our history shows occa-
sions fraught with much graver peril to the public
interest owing to the lack of decided majority for
any group
The first contested election in the house in
1902 when the election of speaker complicated
by the question whether two blank ballots should
be counted as votes or not. But this was mild in
comparison with four later cases. The first of
these Is as impressive an example could be
wished of the power of the house to organize. When
tho Twenty sixth congress met December 2.
1899 Garland. the clerk in accordance with CUSTOM
then and now. summoned it to order and began the
roll call. When he came to New Jersey. he called
| the name OF one member and then remarked that
as five seats belonging to that state contested
| he would pass over the names of the members from
| New Jersey. Garland's apparent unwillingness to
| assume authority was in reality gross assumption
Of 1t. for he was taking 1t upon himself to decide
temporarily the status of claimants. His motive
made his conduct incXcusabc. By keeping the
! five New Jersey members out until n speaker had
been elected. the Democrats would choose that Of
fetal. Moreover. his own position clerk at
stake. in the same way!
| The clerks notice let loose storm Of debate. A
motion was made to adjourn. The clerk observed
that he could put question. of adjournment,
until the house formed But the knot
quickly cut by general cry to adjourn followed by
the clerks declaration that the house adjourned
| Two days Of this farce went by. when common
sense asserter itself. Leaders of both Wings and
Democrats went to the venerable x-Prcsident John
Quincy Adams. and begged him to interfere. On
December s. he rose to address the housc--but not
the clerk. Turing to the members. he said. Eel
low citizens! Members elect of the Twenty sixth
congress-" And he urged them to organize them
selves. offering n means towards that end a reso-
luton ordering the clerk to call the members from
New Jersey. possessing the credentials from the
| governor OF that state" Resolutions there had
Representatives cried out: How shall the oues-
ton he putt" They received the quiet answer IT
intend to put the question myself" But this was
not necessary. The key had been found, and any
body could use it. 4 South Carolina member
sprang his feet and offered resolution that Will
liams OF North Carolina the oldest member Of the