Evening star., 1903-07-22
AN UGLY CONTEST
Fight Coming Between the
House and Senate.
CANNON DETERMINED
ASSUMPTION OF AUTHORITY OF
SENATE TO BE CURBED.
Joining Of the Issue Will Come Over
the Financial Bill-Diffculty
to Be Encountered.
CANNON DETERMINED

A republican member Of the House OF
Representatives. who was In town this
week, said in private conversation that an
ugly contest between the House and Senate
in the next session is imminent over the
question of what this member termed 1.-The
arrogant assumption of authority of the
Senate" According to this gentleman
Speaker Cannon is more determined now
than at the last session to assert the dig
nifty and conserve the prerogatives of the
House.
1t is said that Mr.. Cannon all during the
summer has been discussing the question
with those colleagues with whom he has
come in contact, and that at the meeting in
September of the republican leaders of the
House. which Mr.. Cannon expects to hold
in Danville, the subject will be broached
again and the views of the leaders ascer-
tanned
1t is said that the severe speeches deliv
cred in the Senate upon the very assem-
bling of the late special session of that
body in reference to Chairman Cannon's re-
marks in the closing hours of the Congress
not only did not serve to change Mr.. Can,
hardening his determination to take
stand against the Senate.
Effect of Senate's Insistence.
No man in Congress has had more oppor-
luLllS " lecl tIlt pI dttlCtii tilttl VI tiic
disposition of the Senate to have its own
way than the late chairman of the appro-
priations committee of the House. Session
after session, in the closing hours, when
big supply bills We're in the balance. he has
battled for the contention of the House,
standing firm for days. with :}.,1 representa-
tives back of him. and then has been COM
PEELED to yield to the adamantine position
Of the Senate.
The House has fumed and fretted against
the practice of the Senate. and unimportant
members have delivered fuminations
against 1t which attracted round of ap-
plause. but which fell on the Senate as
harmless as patter of rain on the Capitol
roof Mr.. Cannon, however, got UNDER
meath the skin of his adverSarieS in his last
speech. and drew tart rejoinders from lead
ing senators. who felt that the position of
Mr.. Cannon made it impossible to allow his
remarks to pass unnoticed
In reply to Mr.. Cannon's threat notice was
served upon. him that he had best desist
from the line of conduct threatened. The
senators were of opinion that the notice
would serve, and that no more would be
heard from Mr. Cannon along that line.
Notice Has Not Served
Evidently. however. the notice has not
served. Mr.. Cannon, 1t is said, has not
treated from his position or declared inten-
ton. Unless his colleagues, with whom he
intends to hold conference, should be unan-
the prospectice Speaker is determined to
make stand against the Senate. 1t is not
thought likely that they will advise Submis-
sion, Tor every one of them has at one time
or another been made to feel the pressure
from the Senate, and has rankled under the
humiliation OF having to yield from a posi-
ton known to be just.
If a contest does come it will be watched
with great interest by the old timers in
Congress, who. to tell the truth have not
much faith in the prospect of making the
Senate do anything it does not want to do
The joining of the issue will come over
the financial bill. AS stated heretofore
the House and Senate are far apart in their
ideas OF the proper financial legislation.
Mr.. Cannon has already declared that the
House will have its say on the financial
bill or there will be no bill at all. His great
difficulty in making the fight on this issue
will be to get the House to agree on the
republicans of the House are badly split up
on that subject, while in the Senate, the
republicans are likely to support any bill
the finance committee brings out.
Mr.. Cannon's Language.
Mr.. Cannon's language, uttered in the
closing hours of the last session and which.
it is understood. he still stands by was as
follows:
Gentlemen. I have made my protest. I
do 1t In sorrow and humiliation, but there
1t is; and in my opinion another body the
Senate) under these methods must change
its methods of procedure or our body,
backed up by the people. will compel that
change else this body 0he House, close to
the people, shall become a mere tender,
mere bender of the pregnant hinges of
the knee to submit to what any one MEM
Der of another body may demand of this
hn6 ,-io for. 1ayiS iS1 tow