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MARCH 26, ISO
The Commoner.
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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.)
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