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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (March 26, 1909)
-rv-p -"BTinJi"r!rvw-, MARCH 26, ISO The Commoner. 3 r ,j!W "yTV mif H1i r"Tqy"',, EDUCATIONAL SERIES The House Rules "Cannonism" Commoner readers will be particularly inter ested at this time in the methods whereby the house of representatives, under the system known as "Cannonism," is controlled by an oligarchy. The Success Magazine, a publication that practically supported the republican ticket in the last campaign, has been making, recent ly, .a vigorous fight against "Cannonism" the evils aimed at by the "insurgent republicans." Evils which the democrats have consistently and persistently fought are described in the Success editorial as follows: Among the problems which will come up for consideration in the Sixty-first congress are the following: The revision of the tariff; the de velopment of national waterways; the conser vation of fcrests and of our rapidly dimi-.ishing mineral wealth; the national defense; the proper regulation of interstate corporations; the ship ping of liquors into prohibition states; child labor; postal savings banks; parcels post (with proper protection of the storekeeper) ; an ade quate and efficient census; employers' liability. All of these items of progressive and intelli gent legislation have been, to date, consistently blocked by the five-man oligarchy whic rules the national house of representatives. Some of the most important members of this oligarchy are the identical men who attempted to block pure food legislation and who have consistently opposed about all the really progressive meas ures that have been before the house. This oligarchy is composed of Speaker Can non and two other members of the committee on rules Dalzell of Pennsylvania, and Sherman of New York together with Payne of Now York, chairman of committee on ways and means, and Tawnoy of Minnesota, chairman of the committee on appropriations. These five men arbitrarily dictate what legis lation shall bo considered by a body of -391 duly elected representatives of the peoplo of tho United States. Tho machinery of legislation is in their hands. They hold their amazing power by dispensing committee chairmanships and ap portioning among the members the expenditures of public moneys, or "pork." The demand of tho "insurgents" may bo briefly stated as follows: 1. That tho committee on rules, now ap pointed by the speaker, which arbitrarily deter mines what legislation shall bo considered by tho house, bo supplanted by a genuinely repre sentative committee made up of members from geographical groups of states. 2. That this popularly elected committee on rules shall select the chairmen and members of the standing committees of the house, which frame legislation. 3. That on one day of each week open dis cussion of any important measures on the cal endar may be obtained by right and not by favor of the speaker. In short, these "insurgents" by striking di rectly at the oligraphical control of the house, and by attempting to put an end to the farce of debates and discussions under the sole direc tion of the speaker, appear to be voicing tho widespread popular demand that the house of representatives be made really representative and responsive to the will of the peoplo. HOW THE SPEAKER CONTROLS THE HOUSE In order to thoroughly understand the recent contest in the house of representatives the read er should understand the method whereby tho speaker controls the house. On this point the following chapter, reprinted from the demo cratic text book for 1908 will be interesting: It is because of the rules of the house and the autocratic disposition of the speaker that the will of the people is not carried out in legislation. The speaker is permitted to name all the committees in the house. He designates as chairman of each committee a man who will follow his direction and control, as nearly as may be, the action of the committee in all matters submitted to it. - The speaker expects the chairman to see to it that no bill is re ported from the committee that does not meet the speaker's approval. All bills are first referred to committees for investigation. After a bill has been considered and reported by a committee, it is placed on the calendar for consideration by the house. But no bill can be called up without first securing the recognition of the speaker. A member in the discharge of his duty may rise in his place and address the speaker, who asks, if he does not already know, "for what purpose does the gentleman rise?" Answer is made then, and if the speaker does not wish to recognize the mem ber, he replies:- "I can not recognize you for that purpose." The member has no recourse. His work is done. Under the present rules, no bill can be con sidered in the house without the consent of the Bpeaker, and the present speaker will not per mit the consideration of any important bill he does not favor. In addition to the power lodged in the speak er, under existing rules, he appoints a commit tee on rules, of which he is chairman, consist ing of five persons. Whenever the rules of the house, obnoxious as they are, do not meet the exigencies of a particular case, a new rule is formulated which takes the place of all rules, and is presented by this committee. The pres ent speaker regards it as the highest evidence of party treas6n if his party does not support the rule thus brought in, and the person offend ing may expect every punishment that can be inflicted for what is charged as his party perfidy. As an example of the extent to which that committee has gone, .attention is called to a rule that was presented and adopted wherein the anomalous position of counting a negative vote for a proposition was provided. Tho rule was as follows: "Resolved, That immediately upon the adop tion of this rule, and at any time thereafter during the remainder of this session, it shall be in order to take from the speaker's table any general appropriation bill returned with senate amendments, and such amendments hav ing been read, the question shall be at once taken without debate or intervening motion of the following question: 'Will the house dis agree to said amendments en bloc and ask a conference with the senate?' And if this mo tion shall be decided in the affirmative, the speaker shall at once appoint the conferees without the intervention of any motion. If tho house shall decide said mction in tho negative, the effect of said vote shall be to agree to the said amendments." In speaking on the adoption of the rules at the beginning of the present congress, Mr. Wil liams, of Mississippi, amongst other things, said: We are of the opinion, and have been for a long time, that entirely too much power is con centrated in tho hands of the speaker of the house, and without any party spirit at all, speak ing only what I think is best for the country at large, believing if my party were In the ma jority I should still take the same view, I wart to protest against the adoption of the rules in their present drastic form, without any oppor tunity to the members of the house to propose amendments and without any opportunity for the house itself to pass upon proposed amend ments." Following Mr. Williams, Mr. Cooper, of Wis consin, a republican, made this observation: "I agree with the gentleman from Mississippi, that there is altogether too much power concen trated in the speaker of the house of represent atives. It is more power, gentlemen, than ought to be given any man In any government that pretends to be republican in form and demo cratic in spirit." On the COth of May, near the close of the recent session of congress, Mr. De Armond, of Missouri, said: "As our constituents are equals under the law, so we, their representatives, come to this house equal under the constitution In our rights, privileges, duties and responsibili ties. That representative equality, the speaker of this house has denied, ignored, and, for the time being, destroyed. In this work of usurpa tion, tyranny and spoliation he has assumed the role of the boss and acted the part. The speaker determines whether a measure shall be voted upon in the house yea, more, he deter mines whother It shall bo considered at all by tho body over which ho is elected to presido, but of which ho has wantonly mado himsolf the master. Recognition is accorded to a' mombor as a mattor of grace, not of right, or it is ar bitrarily denied. Those measures which the speaker wishes to have passed by tho gracious permission of tho speaker aro brought before tho house for passage; those which the speaker does not wish to havo passed have no chanco to pass, for tho speaker will not permit a consid eration of them. And whllo tho speaker acta tho boss his peers meekly submit to tho degrad ation and tamoly endure tho humiliation of be ing bossed. Indignation at tho outrages per petrated by tho speaker melts into pity for tho abject mien of subdued members, and both In dignation and pity give way to an abiding feel ing of contempt for all thus involved. Not all tho members meekly bend low for the master's yoke or wear it in patient submissiveness; but too many take to tho yoke as If they novor woro free men, and wear it as a decoration. In somo minds familiarity with tyranny breeds a con tempt for liberty. Let us particularize a' little. As a rule, no member can get recognition to call up a measure for consideration unless tho speaker wishes to havo It considered. Gener ally the member must appeal privately to tho speaker for permission to exorcise a clear con stitutional right, and if tho speaker deny tho boon of recognition, tho unfortunate, if ho would follow tho precedents, must submit to a wrong which also is a humiliation. Individuals, or ganizations, and the country may in vain de mand or petition for rights which it may plcaso tho autocrat in tho speaker's chair to deny." Theso several quotations oxpross, in a very forceful way, tho condition as it presents itselt In tho lower house of congress. It Is indeed a humiliating spectacle to observe tho represent ative of a sovereign peoplo without voice in tho congress to which ho Is elected, unless it bo tho will of tho speaker that he shall bo recognized. It is a travesty on our republican form of gov ernment that rules shall bo so framed that legislation shall bo controlled by a single per son, whoso will becomes in effect, tho expressed will of tho American people. The rules of tho house must be mado simpler. Power must bo taken from tho speaker, so that tho individual representative may have proper recognition, and to this end the democratic party in its platform, has pledged Itself. TIIE BARNACLES ON THE SHIP OP STATE A. E. Thomas in tho March number of Suc cess Magazine: Thousands and thousands of persons havo done a good deal of wondering of late they havo wondered, among other things, why it Is that it has been so utterly impossible to got the house of representatives to pass certain legislation clearly desired by the country at large why it has even been impossible to get tho house to bring this legislation to a vote. Such legislation, for example, is tho bill for a White MQuntaln and Southern Appalachian for est reserve. This bill, with others equally pop ular, has been chloroformed sweetly in one of Undo Joe's committees. Not only does it slum ber but Uncle Joe has oven forgotten to leave a call. This and similar measures that the public approve have not been passed or even consid ered on the floor of the houso for the simplo reason that Uncle Joe and company do not want them considered. But if you are interested in one of these slumbering bills and you appeal to Uncle Joe for help you are likely to como from his presence, in tho 'elebrated Red Room where he reigns, convinced that tho speaker is, as ho will tell you, only one among 391 mem bers of tho house, whereas, as a matter of fact, the rest of tho house aro only 391 members among ono Uncle Joe. "It is a matter of much regret to me," th speaker will mournfully say, "that I can not be of any assistance to you. I am personally in favor of tho measure we have been discussing, and I assure you that if it ever comes to a' voto it shall have my vote, if it needs it. But it la the majority of the house that rules, you see." Uncle Joe is clearly much ceprersed over his down-trodden condition beneath the heels of a despotic house, and It is very likely indeed that you will go hastily from his presence In order to cut short the painful spectacle of his embar rassment at not being able to serve so worthy a cause as yours. That is, you will unless you happen to know the truth. And the truth is that, while the house is constituted, organized, (Continued on page 4.) w n m M