The chairmen of committees, and a few others who have been long in the House, are called into a committee room to decide on how much debate will be permitted, who will be heard, and whether or not the bill shall pass; and the rank and file, desiring to be good party men, obey orders, and the bill fails or goes through in exactly the form decided upon by the clique. This is most un-American. It is true, more business is thus accomplished; but the business does not represent the average public opinion of the House.
The Committee on Rules, or its majority, constitutes a stone wall against which men break their hearts and ruin their reputations. Let us have less done, but let what is done be an average result of public opinion.
The President can do but little to influence legislation. His clubs are personality and patronage. If as persistent as Mr. Roosevelt, he may eventually get an "Administration" measure (like Cuban reciprocity) through, despite opposition. Present Congressional methods make politicans out of men capable, under broader training, of becoming statesmen. But Mr. Roosevelt did not "arrive" by the good will of the machine, but in spite of it. If he attains a second term, it will be against the plans of the machine; but as in Lincoln's second term, politicians may be forced to nominate him, or themselves go down before the storm of public indignation.
In the meantime legislators in the House will go on presenting little bills which they know they can never get passed, but printed copies of which can be sent to constituents to make them believe that their representatives are really doing something.
The present method has this benefit: it shuts off much of the lobbying which formerly disgraced the anterooms of Congress.
Photo by Clinedinst
STATUARY HALL
Photo by Clinedinst
From the painting by Emanuel Leutze
"WESTWARD HO!"
