Great Falls tribune., 1921-03-13
BY DONALD A. CRAIG.

4 i costs the taxpayers between
eight and nine millions of dollars
year in salaries and expenses. AT
present it consists of 531 members
Sc senators and 435 members of the
house of representatives. 1t is one
of the largest legislative bodies in the
world, and is constanaly growing with
each decennial census, and yet most
of its important actions are practically
controlled by about a dozen senators
and q score of representatives.
These men are interesting from
many viewpoints. They are widely
different in their methods, tastes and
activities. Some appear on the surface
of the legislative whirlpool constantly.
Others are scarcely ever heard of in
the news of the day. Some are great
orators; others either. cannot deliver a
public speech or arc too timorous to
try. But they all have one thing in
common. They are not afraid of hard
work, and they stick to the job.
President Harding has announced
that during his term in the White
House he will deal with congress as a
coordinate branch Of the federal gov
ernment. Attempt at presidential con-
troll, as exemplified by the methods OF
Former President Wilson during his
WV LSl Ill UlllGt, WHICH were SUE
cessful only during the period when
he had Democratic majorities in both
branches, is ended for the next few
years at least
Small Group to Continue.
This adds to the Importance Of the
men who guide congress through the
maze of its legislative duties and will
increase their prominence in the cur
rent history of the country during the
next four years. The men who were
for the most part hold the reins in the
session next month.
1t is casting no slur upon the great
body of senators and representatives
either collectively or as individuals. to
say that small groups in each house
control important legislation. That is
the. natural course of events in every
large legislative body. Since the dawn
of history human beings have found it
necessary to have leaders. Popular
government depends upon them no less
than more centralized governments.
And it has always happened, and, of
course, always will, that the most ener-
gctic, the wisest and the most am
bilious men will emerge at the top Of
the heap.
Group control does not mean any
thing like one man control It is only
few years since the cry of the re-
form politicians in this country was
raised against Cannonism in the house
and Aldrichism in the senate. It was
charged that Uncle Joe Cannon Of Illi-
nois cracked the whip over the house
and rode it like a merciless monarch.
But Uncle Joe was a1nseated in the
memorable Rules Fight" and today
he is delightfully."- harmless. still as gen.
lal as ever, and soon to break all rec
ords since the beginning of govern
ment for length Of service in the house.
The doings of Cannonsm and of his
famous and able predecessor, Gar
Reed of Maine, are matters of history.
Has any student of American poll
tics forgotten the anathemas that
were hurled at the head of the late
Nelson w. Aldrich of Rhode Island?
He was supposed to hold the senate in
the hollow of his hand, while Uncle Joe
played horse with the house. All Of
the insurgents of that day waxed
prominent by perpetually calling upon
the country to end it's enslaved con-
dition at the hands of these terrible
tyrants.
Some may say that there is no actual
control Of congress today, even by
groups of men. They insist that the
leaders are the men who in reality
follow the crowd, and only seem to
lead it BY finding out in advance what
the majority wants and stepping out
IN front of the irresistible procession.
This is partly true, but it is also true
that these men have genius for orga-
nlZatlon, for seeing into the depths of
problems, and presenting practical So
lutions, for working day and night when
others are playing golf or attending the
theaters. Furthermore, they have a
way of bringing into line the wavering
and recalcitrant ones who hang on the
edges. They give cohesiveness to con-
gress:: they bring order out Of chaos
And last, but by no means least, |
these men attend to the stupendous
amount of detail They get down to
brass tacks while others are talking
in high sounding phrases about this
sort OF bill and that. They put the
thing on paper, and when the fine
points OF legislation are to be ground
out they do it. For instance, saying
that taxes ought to be reduced, or in
creased, and voting in favor of that
general policy is one thing, while actu-
ally reducing or increasing taxes ON
this and that article of commerce is
something entirely different. The man !,
who writes the language of the bill that |
finally becomes law is the man who de- |
termines the course Of the nation in |
the long run. If there are any sub
tilities in the laws they put them there.
Question of Party Doesn't Control.
Proportionatcly fewer men control
affairs in the house than in the SEN
ate. That is probably due to the fact
that in the smaller body each individ-
ual member counts for more. When
Senator Charles Curtis of Kansas, the |
Republican whip, informs Senator
Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, the Re-
publican floor leader, that there is a [
majority of six or eight for a bill that
the leaders desire to pass, Senator