The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-08-04
SCHEME
OF CANNON
Who Is 10 Be- Speaker
OF Next House
TO CURTAIL POWER OF SENATE
The Illinois Statesman Has Made a
Long and Consistent Fight on
This Line.
TO CURTAIL POWER OF SENATE

Washington, D. C.-Uncle Joe Can
| non, as speaker Of the house Of rep
resentatives, proposes to clip the
| wings of the United States senate.
He believes, with many other mem
bers of the house, that the senate has
absorbed more than it's legitimate
share of legislative power. His views
on this subject are we'll known to all
who know anything about Cannon.
He has aired them diligently, and
| voiced them vehemently at the close
| of every congress. One OF the most
sensational episodes at the close last
| March was Cannon's speech on this
subject, delivered about 3 O'Clock in
the morning, to the usual accOmpani-
ment of waving arms, plcturesques
| language, with Uncle Joe the celter
OF an applauding crowd Of tired mem
| bers of the house, cOa,le:s, tIeless,
his waistcoat uubuttoEed and the
veins of his forehead purple and dis
| tended with the vigor of MS articula-
! ton.
The senators read his remarks in
| the Record next morning, and Mr..
| Cannon was persona non grata at the
north end of the capitol. Mr.. Hale
got up and made remarks about what
was due to the dignity of the senate
and Mr.. Aldrich wanted to know what
was meant by such expressions as
''holdup' and HIGHWAY robbery
One Of Many Incidents.
| But that was only one Of many in
! cidents. AS chairman of the apprO-
priatiOn committee it has always fall
| len to the lot Of Representative Can
non to serve Oh the conference com
mittee, and to fight it out in the clos
| ing hours, with the conference COM
mittee of the senate. In these affairs
he always stood out to the last minute,
and tried to keep the senate from en-
| croaching on the rights of the house.
| But his power was limited and the
speaker and the committee on rules
had the real say; and year after year
| Uncle Joe has seen the senate alb
sOrb more and more power, and have
| its way in spite of the protesting OF
| the house.
| Appropriation bills would go to the
| senate and would return so altered as
to be similar only in title. Items
would be stricken out and other items
put H. without the knowledge or con
sent of any member of the house, anc
in the hush and congestion OF business
at the end of the session, the senate
would stand like a rock, and the
house would be forced to come aroun(
and agree to anything it could get.
The constitution provides that al
legislation which has to do with the
) expenditure Of money, all tax leglsla
! ton ard all appropriations, shall or
iginate in the house OF representa-
!, tives. This is the branch Of congress
which is supposed to be close 10 thu
: people Ii is chosen by popular vot'
, and for shorter terms; Che money i
the peoples money, and the tAeor.
of the builders Of the government wa
that the people should have something
10 say about the spending Of it. Ina
5 is the reason they made it necessar.
that all such laws originate ii tn
popular branch of congress.
Provision Is Obsolete.
), AS a matter Of fact that provision
: of the constitution has become obsC