Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-20
MR.. MORRISON NOT SATISFIED.
Editor Times-Republican.

If the Washington correspondents
are to be'credited the house has been
polled by Speaker Cannon and his lieu
tenants on the committee on rules,
Dalzell and Grosvenor, to ascertain
of tariff revision, and this alleged poll
has shown an overwhelming majority
against revision. We are also told that
this poll does not reflect the views of
the members, because many of them
are afraid to oppose the speaker and
his all-powerful committee on rules.
What is the duty of the average con-
gresham as the house is now organ
ICED and controlled? To voice the sem
timent of his constituents? Theoreti-
cally, yes, practically he obeys the be-
hests of benevolent despot called the
speaker, who divides his authority
with the committee on rules and a few
other leaders, With the rise in pow
err Of the speaker came the fall of the
house in power and influence. 1t has
practically ceased to be a deliberative
body and can scarcely be called a
representative one because it has, for
all practical purposes, delegated it's
DOW clS W IA1C SpSNAASh. ~ AiiSss,AA' -
its organization and rules, the house
is bound hand and foot and can do
nothing except what is decreed by the
leaders" OF course a majority might
at any time break over the bars, but
the cowardice of many and indifference
of more, generally prevents any at
tempt at rebellion.
The house will never be represen-
tative body until it robs the speaker OF
the power he now exercises of naming
the committees, and makes of him
what he ought to be, a presiding OFF,
Ger and nothing more. This change
will come when the people demand IT
and no man should be elected to con-
eress who does not pledge himself IN
advance to use his vote and influence
to bring about this reform. The pres
ent arrangement is an ideal one Tor
substituting the will of the speaker OF
the house for the will of the Amerl-
can people, and it will continue as long
as the average citizen maintains his
present indifference to the doings OF
his hired men at Washington.
with the speaker and a few
"leaders" in control of the
house ana StIldloIldl N'SsAs
and "unaninous consent supreme in
the senate, how much difficulty VIII
the railroads and over-protected m
dustries have in defeating all efforts
at genuine reform? How many MEM
bers of congress are there who are not
riding all over the country on free
TRANSPORTATION furnished them by the
railroads and at the same time draw
ing mileage from the United States
treasury? How many attorneys are
there in the two houses of congress
who are accepting large fees from the
railways for legal services" and SAL
aries from their country as the repre-
sentatives of the people? Can such
men faithfully and honestly serve the
corporations and their country at the
same time? Is it any wonder that cor
porate influence is so nearly supreme
at Washington? The corporations all
ways remember and reward their
friends and then try to pull the wool
over the eyes of the people and have
them returned to power-and they US
ually succeed.
In accomplishing its purposes the
system" occasionally subsidies an
"organ" but as a general thing it can
count on the majority of the papers
lining up for it's man "for the good of
the party" and when this man gets
down to Washington he never fails to
remember his creator"
Is any member of congress aggres-
sively seconding the efforts of Prest-
dent Roosevelt in behalf of honest
reform in the matter Of charging the
powers Of the interstate commerce
commission? Possibly a few, but not
very many. 1t would not be good
FORM to get enthusiastic about any
thing demanded by the people and
there would be great danger Of being