The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-12-01
MAY SWITCH M'CLEARY.
Ia whey Said to be Slated for Chair
man Appro priations Committee.

Ia whey Said to be Slated Tor Cnatr-
man Appropriations Committee.
From Tuesdays Daily.
w. W. Jermaine, in Sundays Mime
apolis Journal, says:
BY process of elimination, Speaker
Cannon has got rid of all the candi-
dates for the craftsmanship of the house
appropriations committee excepting Rep
resentatives McCleary and Tawney OF
Minnesota, and it begins to look as If
one of these would get the place, the
chances apparently favoring Tawney.
The speaker has not yet definitely
made up his mind, however, and may
not do so for several weeks. He is con-
yinced that the ways and means COM
mittee, which is the most important in
either house of congress, must be
strengthened by the addition of several
"stand pat" republicans, and natural
ly. when he takes such a position, he
turns first to Mr.. McCleary, who is the
| most able defender of protection in the
| house and would be a source of genuine
strength to the committee which consid-
ers revenue questions.
| Should he decide to put McCleary on
that committee he of course would he
| compelled to displace Tawney, as Min
| nesota could not hope for double repre-
| sentation there, and naturally the cas-
lest thing to do would be to place Taw-
| ney at the head of the appropriations
committee, where he belongs just as
logically as McCleary belongs to the
ways and means.
This proposed switch is in the interest
of better house organization, and the
speaker, in considering it, wants it un-
| derstood that he is not making slap
at McCleary. On the contrary he regards
the ways and means as of so much more
| Importance than the appropriations COM
mittpe as to indicate that this transfer
would be promotion for McCleary, if
| made
| The Journal is in position to say
that the speaker resents the statement
that any member has any vested rights
under the rule of seniority in any com
mittee assignment held in a preceding
congress, and it is apparent that some
of McCleary's friends have not helped
| his cause by insisting that the appro-
| priations craftsmanship is McCleary's by
| right. This is not true, and there are
abundant presidents in proof of this
statement.
The Holman Precedent.
Tn the first congress in which Crisp
was speaker of the house, Holman OF
Indiana was made chairman OF appro-
priations. In the next congress, how
ever. Holman was taken from that place
by Crisp and made chairman OF indian
affairs committee, Savers getting the APP
probriations Craftsmanship.
This seemed like demotion for Hol-
man. and so it was on the face of the
case, but Crisp held that Holman had
no claim upon the craftsmanship on ac-
count of having held it in preceding
congress.
In democratic congress subsequent
to this time, Mr.. Cannon was ranking
member of the appropriations commit
fee minority. Then came a republican
house and Mr.. Cannon naturally Thought
as Mr.. McCleary is supposed to have
thought at this time, that he ought to
have the Craftsmanship of the house, be-
inc republican. But instead of this, the
republican speaker gave place to FranR
H;scock of New York, who was at the
1 end of the republican minority OF the
committee. Cannon continued on the
committee as ranking member.
| Having had such an experience, Mr.
Cannon is not likely to attach any i'm
portance to the claim of the McCleary
: people that McCleary has vested right
in the Craftsmanship this year.
Tt is understood that the speaker
NAV appoint all of the house commit
tees before the holiday recess. The
committee on rules, accounts and mile
aoe will be named on the first or see
ond day of the session, and after thai
the speaker may announce several com
mittees each week, or it may be each