The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-19

These qualities count big in the mind
of any speaker when chairmanships are
to be given out.
The speaker says that he has not yet
decided what ought to be done, and is
cn,y now beginning to consider the
case. If this is true, all guesses, for
for the present, at least, are off.
This situation discloses something
which is vastly of more importance to
the country as a whole than anything
which may happen to either McCleary
or Tawney, or to any other individual
member of congress. This is the fact
that the republican speaker of the house
OF representatives is beginning to be
anxious about the personnel of the ways
and means committee, which brings in
all tariff bills, and seems anxious to have
| that committee, on it's republican side,
of proper stand-pat" character at as
early day as possible. -
| This points to the belief that the
| speaker is beginning to feel that revis-
| ion may be nearer than anybody now
thinks for. Like good general he is
anxious to have his forces in shape to
meet it when it comes.
Glory for Roosevelt.
It woul dbe the crowning glory of the
Roosevelt administration if, after doing
everything it could against trusts and
in favor Of the common people, it were
! to strike a body blow at orporate
wealth thru the revision Of the Dingley
tariff act.
When the speaker appoints the house
standing committees next month, these
appointments will stand for the entire
life Of the fifty-ninth congress-two
years. It would be difficult for him,
without stirring up lots of trouble, to
make changes in these committees after
the original appointments, and this ex-
plains his interest in having the ways
and means committee right from a
'stand-pat' point Of view to Start
. with
In this connection: The tariff
!; standpatters' having failed in their
efforts to bring the president over to
, their way Of thinking. now seem to
have turned their attention to the
speaker Of the house, who, next to the
president, is the most powerful man in
the country on all matters of legisla
tion.
Some months ago Mr.. Cannon wa:
popularity supposed to be more or less
: in sympathy with the president s re
=. against tinkering with the tariff sched
ules, and he is even thinking of going
to the extreme length of "loading'
:, the ways and means committee with a
= = view to making his position effective
and prevent any revision bill from be-
h ing reported to the house for two yeaI;
Il at least.
There are abundant precedents fol
this "loading' the committees of con
gress in both houses. The most recent
-. example of it was the "loading' OF
$ the senate committee on postoffce
. when "Billy'' Mason of Illinois came
e e up under the rule of seniority to bt
g it's chairman. In order to minimlz
Mason's influence, some of the leadlns
O men in the senate were drafted TO
: service on the committee.
$ In the present instance the speake
d may well hold, on the assumption tha
!, the majority, Of, Republicans Of th
i house are, 'fstandpatters,' that th'
e fleet that sentiment This would Civ
him sufficient excuse for the loading
d process. -
n The house of representatives origin
l. ates all revenue legislation and tn
= ways and means committee is the in
e strument used by the house in formu
lating all revenue bills. With the righ
= kind of committee, the speaker woult
e be able to hold out against any tariff
C message the president might write o
o against any revision sentiment on tn
II part of the general. public, for at leas
two full years, or the life time of thi
o new congress.
10 Important to Country. e..
d All Of this may suggest to many pes
4 pie the possibility of break betweel
is Speaker Cannon and the congresslona
If standpatters on one side and th
1t president on the others But such breal
. will not come-at least while the rat
II issue is alive. ~''
v The president is well known to holt
st that it is usually unwise for the e1ecu
II tive to get at sword s points with TIL
4 legislative branch Of the government
Il He is not afraid of fight, but he al
n ways tries to see, before going into one
IS that it is necessary.
In the present instance. he holds tina
+ it is not necessary, and besides woul,
e be foolish, as nothing would come fror
n it in the way of legislation. And leg
islation is what he would be after. II
cares nothing for fight of this sor
for its own sake. .-.....r
f In some quarters it is believed tina
r the situation in the speakers s mind a
e to McCleary and Tawney may lead hin
II to 90 outside Of Minnesota for an ap
e propriations chairman.