The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-26
RATE HEARINGS
ALL PETER OUT
Continued from First Page.

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est of better house organization, and
the speaker, in considering it, wants it
understood 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 appro.
priations committee as to indicate that
this transfer would be promotion for
McCleary, if made. t<.
The Journal is in a position to
say that the speaker resents1 the state
ment that any member has any vest
ed rights under the rule of seniority in
any committee 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 appropriations craftsmanship is Nc
Cleary's by right. This is not true, and
there are abundant precedents in proof
Of this statement. H.
The Holman Precedent.
In 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
the Indian affairs committee, Sayers
getting the appropriations chairman
Ship.
This seemed like a 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 a preceding
congress. '@"..5- .:}"- ~
In democratic congress subsequent
to this time, Mr.. Cannon was ranking
member Of the appropriations commit
tee minority. Then came 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, being republican. But instead
of this, the republican speaker gave
place to Frank Hiscock Of New York,
who was at the end Of the republican
minority of the committee. Cannon
continued on the committee as rank
ing member. 80. .
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 a vested right
in the Craftsmanship this year.
1t is understood that the speaker
may appoint all Of the house commit
tees before the holiday recess. The com
mittee on rules, accounts and mileage
\ will be named on the first or second
day Of the session, and after that the
speaker may announce several commit
tees each week, or it may be each
y until the holiday recess. .' i z,~,,..
Fletcher Has His Troubles. 49,
"Uncle Loren' Fletcher : is having
his own troubles in convincing Speaker
Cannon that by dropping out of con
gress for two years he has not forfeited
all claim to his old committee assign
e ments. lH1is quite apparent sthats JsAg
e Fletcher has been possessed Of the ide:
+ that; he could return to the fifty nintl
Il congress, after an absence Of tw'
l. years, and file upon his old Gommitte
!e places.
is The speaker has promised that h
would do what he could for Fletcher
n but what: this will amount to- fhe
lr not ready to say. Meanwhile, Fletche
es is not as hilarious over the outlook a
v he was before he left Minneapolis.
o. The chief desire Of Mr.. Fletcher
e to get back on the committee on Inter
state and foreign commerce, of whic
Il, he was ranking member at the tim
. Of his enforced retirement. In the fifty
~ - eighth congress the gap was filled b.
- J.; the appointment of Fred c.. Stevens 0
= the St. Paul district, who. has don
= committee work for two years whic
~ has attracted the attention of member
~, Of both houses. He is today one of .th
" vital forces of that committee and yth
- speaker would be glad to have him COZ
~ tinue his services there. ......
w Obviously, even if there were a II
h. publican vacancy, Minnesota could nc
n possibly hope to have two represents
c- tives on the committee.
The only way in which the matte
e- could be adjusted to Mr.. Fletcher
1g liking would be by the voluntary rt
re tirement of Mr.. Stevens, expressed Pc
al sonally to the speaker, and whethe
es Stevens will care to make a sacrifc
r. of this kind is one Of the question
Mr.. Fletcher would like to have al
swered.
Mr.. Stevens other important assig1
ment' is on. military affairs. He hs
served on this committee for. sever;
80 years, principally in the interest of
N greater Fort Smelling He has now a.
\ complished about all that is Of intere
to the northwest in this respect, an
presumably would be much more wi
h. ling to get off that committee than ii
committee on interstate and foreie
commerce. Mr.. Fletcher has not give
up the fight, but insists that he II;
rights and that the speaker will "
recOpniZe them --