Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-01

Speaker Nicholas Longworth's protest
against reference to the House of Repre-
SentAtives as the Lower House" of Con-
greSS has aroused considerable comment
Of not too serious nature.
A typical reaction to use of the terms
upper" and lower is expressed by the
Cincinnati Times-Star, which views the
House of Lords and the House of Com
mons of Great Britain, but are not to
be found in our Constitution, and never
fitted here" That paper contends: I'm
theory and often in fact a Senator Is q
more important political person than q
Representative, because the one repre-
sentS an entire State. the other only a
district of the State. But the body of
which a Representative is a part is
quite as important as the Senate.
Though the Senate has the sole power
to confirm or reject presidential ap-
pointmentS, the House has the sole
power to originate bills for raising reve-
nues, and without revenues governments
cannot exist. Senators are fewer, more
loquacious, and, by and large, more can
tankerous than Representatives; also
they are more conspicuous and influ-
entail in the national party conven-
tons"
Assuming that "in the early days the
distinction came about because the
members of the Senate then were chosen
by legislatures, while those of the House
we're elected by popular vote" the
Charleston Daily Mail says of the de-
velopment of their respective standings:
There was a time which we can re-
member when the Senate, considered
the more deliberative and steady body,
was relied on to act as check on what
was considered the more emotional
House, but today the Senate is quite as
emotional as the House ever was, and
there are even times when the House
appears to be more stable than the
Senate. Theoretically, at least, the
House is the equal of the Senate.
The powers conferred on it by the
Constitution are certainly equal. The
consent of the House on legisla-
tive acts is on par with that OF the
Senate so far as enacting legislation is
concerned, while the general public of
today will be apt to conclude that in
other things as well the House of Rep
resentatives is the equal of that body"
A somewhat different position Is
taken by the Youngstown Vindicator,
which remarks that "the House appears
to be rather sensitive all at once over
what has come to be an accepted Gus
tom in making reference to the two
branches of Congress. 1t is little sur
prising, however" continues that paper,
| that the Speaker in invoking authori-
ties to support his contention overlooked
the fact that Representatives and SEN
ators are on an equality when 1t comes
to salaries"
The Kansas City Star agrees that $50
long as the Representatives get as good
pay as Senators they have no real kick
coming. And If they have no monorail
car to transport them through the tun-
mel from the Capitol to the House once
Building" continues the Star, that Is
their own affair. They probably neecS
the exercise. But so long as the Sena.
tors have the predominant say about
the appointment of district attorneys
and marshals and United States judges
and ambassadors, while the Representa-
tives have to content themselves with
poStmasters, and so long as Senators
can talk longer without reaching for a
glass of water than members of the
House, We fancy that Speaker Long
worth is going to have job to induce
the country to cut out reference to the
Lower House"
"Ohio's favorite son." observes the
Houston Chronicle, insists that his
House has sole authority to originate
| revenue bills. True enough" replies the
Chronicle. And the Senate has the
nerve and impudence occasionally to
alter them to a point beyond recogni-
ton by the Representatives who first
sponsored them. Something like that
has happened to the present tariff bill.
1t is passed in Jig time by the House,
which recognized its masters voice and
| jumped through the hoop when Nick
cracked the whip. But the Senate has
been leisurely picking the bill to pieces
amid a running fire of debate which
has made the headlines all over the
| Nation and impressed on many folks
the idea that the House proposes and
the Senate disposes."
/ 49, #R
s'Not all the members Of the House
faEe satisfarkieFs " anr0fdfmn III khh