West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-08-24
NATIONAL NEWS NOTES.
The Forthcoming Extra Session Of
The 5Sth Congress.
"uEele Joo" Cannon Fer Speaker ANA
Jehn Sharp Williams as The
Democratic Leader.
Special Correspondent, Of The Arsus

| Inc Call Tor the extra session OF
the S0th Congress will compel the
organization Of the House OF Re
presentatives three weeks earlier
than otherwise would be organized,
and if the delay in the organization
of the House were all that would
retard the legislation that the Presi.
dent asks for, he would get some
action inside Of the three weeks
before the beginning of the regular
session.
Itis practically a foregone con
clusion that your "Uncle Joe" Can
non will be reelected Speaker aud
the old officers ofthe 6Sth Congress
also reelected. SO far as the Demo
cratic minority is concerned there
is not the shadow OF doubt tha,
the Hon. John Sharp Williams, of
Mississippi, will again be the caucus
nominee for Speaker, which carries
with it the floor leadership during
the life Of the both Congress, and
there could not be better selection.
The record made by Mr.. Williams
as the floor leader in the sSth Con
gress was an enviabie one and
deserves the highest consideration
at the hands of the National Demo
cracy. When he took that place he
found the Democracy in the House
in demoralized condition, broken
up into factions and quarreling
among themselves, a veritable mob.
He turned a mob into an army with
Dinners in three short weeks and
won signal victory from the cohorts
ofriumPhant Republicanism. Every
man on the Democratic side then
had the most implicit confidence in
him, and the men who are the real
leaders on the Democratic side lined
up behind him, and most of them
staid there TO the end of the Con
gress. The only trouble with the
Democratic party is that the mem
bers OF it in the Congress OF the
United States think they are all
leaders and become jealous il any
other man presumes TO suggest
policies to them. Many Of them, in
the presence Of the master mind OF
Williams, swallowed this resentment,
acknowledged the superior leader
ship Of Mr.. Williams and followed
him gladly. There always are few
kickers and recalcitrants in every
body Of men and the 58th Congress
had its share in the minority mem
bership. The majority Of the
kickers and soreheads were those
members who failed to get the com
mittee assignments they desire, when
those assignments were at the dis
possl Of Mr.. Williams. He could
not, of course. give every man the
best committee assignments in the
House, and there you are. 1t may
have been a mistake for Mr.. vii
liams to allow Uncle Joe Cannon to
push off on him the committee as
signmcnts OF the Democratic mem
bers, which always has been the
prerogative Of the Speakers and
hitherto exercised by him and the
responsibility accepted by him as
well. Some people said il was
game played by the Republicans to
&c: the Democratic membership en-
broiled, having it pulling in all direc-
tions, and have fun with IT. Ifthey
figured il that way they reckoned
without their host for they not only
did pull in all directions, but as /
remarked previously they lined up
behind John Sharp, az least the vast
majority Of them and pulled with
him steadily to the end Of the
session. The reason that Mr. VIII
liams accepted the responsibility Of
naming the minority members Of
the House committees was because
the former Speaker, the brainy Tom
Reed, had, in selecting The Demo
cratic members OF the committees.
picked out the very men who could
not serve satisfactorily on the CON.
mi,tce assigned to him, because not
familiar with It's work and then.
when there was some bill before The
House for discussion reported from
some committee the Democrat on
that committee who was the leader
Of The minority ON the committee.
which had made a minority report
would have charge Of the bill from
the Democratic standpoint and in
varIably would ball matters zap in
The worst way becadsc he did not
understand the subject, and the Re
publicans would have all sorts Of
| fun with them.