Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-03-07
1t It 1t Il II tn II It II II #
e Champ Clark S
Letter ESQ., 6 !; & =: s. =
II II II II u II u Il il II

the committee on rules this morning,
strikes out the word Consecutive where
It occurs and cures that objection.
Then. Mr.. Speaker. as the bill was pre-
sented to the house the other day and
as 1t would have become law II two
thirds had voted for 1T leaving no power
Of amendment in the house no prosecu-
lions could have been entered except
under direction of the attorney gen
eral. thereby initiating prosecutions at
Washington. with results which all may
we'll understand; first, of delay, and, sec
ondly. that for the most part the central
office Of the department OF Justice at
Washington would not know what was
going on and therefore would not initiate
or direct.
Not the Best Bill.
The bill as now modified strikes out
the words on lines 10 and "a of page 5.
under direction of the attorney gem
eral, and leaves the district attorneys OF
the United States to proceed to prosecute
without waiting for orders from Wash
tngton. Then, Mr.. Speaker, the word
duly" has been stricken out and sat
isfactory' put In Its place In line "A on
page 5, because the latter word was
thought to be more liberal in the direc-
ton of the remedy desired.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, this Is not the best
bill that the Democratic party could pre-
sent to the country upon this subject.
1t is not as good bill as the minority
members of the committee on interstate
and foreign commerce, who the other
day signalized their devotion to the best
interests Of the country by leading this
side of the house to the course that it
took could prepare, but 1t is the best
bill we can get now and it has been so
nearly perfected in every respect that we
do not feel that we can stand in the
pathway of the proposed legislation SO
important in every way
Mr.. Speaker, the Democracy never per-
formed a more signal service to the coun-
try; the Democratic members of the In
terstate and foreign commerce committee
never performed more signal service to
the country than they did the other day
when they refused to be stampcded by
the cry that they were Opposing six
teen hour law and defeated the suspen-
sion of the rules, SO that the house might
get what it now hasa better bill
And, repeat, I am glad to hear the
gentleman from Pennsylvania ENr. Dali
zeill justify our conduct by telling the
house how much better this bill Is than
the one which the other side Of this
chamber, guided by their leaders, tried
on Monday last to cram down our
throats without any power Of amendment
or of betterlnent
Judge De ArnonoS SPSSeHs
Judge De Almond said:
Mr.. Speaker. this proceeding this morn
ing furnishes US the lone example In all
the history of your rule in this house, as
recollect it, Of actual progress made In
the proceedings Of the committee on
rules The committee, after great deal
of travail and great deal of hesitation
and reluctance, has reported rule which
will tend to facilitate legislation upon
this most important subject. A good
many have been waiting quite little
while for the presentation OF rule OF
an entirely different character. How it
came about that that rule was not pre-
scented, and how it happened that this
rule. modification of that in important
particulars is substituted, we do not
know Contrary to that very sacred
thing known as precedent In this
house. the committee upon rules has
really concluded to submit to the house
q rule that Is tolerable. It Is true that
there is to be no amendment and no OPP
portunity for it. Strange 1t Is, too, that,
with abundance of time for things that
are not important there Is not enough
time to permit the members Of this
house, every one of them a sovereign
representative in his own right, to offer
and consider amendments and to vote
and to act upon his own views on prop
ositions submitted upon question OF
very great and far reaching Importance
But for the little that we have, where
but very little Is given and that grudg-
fngIy. let us be thankful There Is at
last opportunity given to the house and
to the congress and to the country to
get some legislation that will accomplish
something that is desirable. The word
s.lxnowingly,, put in knowingly, no doubt,
to render this measure, il 1t should pass,
absolutely worthless and useless, IS
49, r-r14e< af<s nr1F
much elaboration withdrawn. The word
tsconseeutive put in with full under-
standing and for the direct purpose OF
making this legislation useless, has been
withdrawn, withdrawn most reluctantly
withdrawn after much comparison OF
notes and much consideration OF possible
consequences, but 1t is withdrawn, and
the house now has the opportunity, uIl-
der the form of a rule most drastic In It's
terms. expression and purpose. to send
to conference something upon which
there may be rested hope for good leg
islation.
tee on rules, thanks to the powers and
influences, whatever they may be- that
have coerced that body of coercion into
doing something contrary to its general
course something which may result IN
good to the public. May those persons
who coerceds the committee on rules,
NAV those influences that have prevailed
over it in this. one instance for the right,
be exerted again and again! May this be
the dawning of the day when the COM
nittee on rules will cease TO be auto
cratic when it will share with the house
of representatives itself, with the SSS
members, leaving out Of the count the
powerful three who constitute the ma
iorifv of the committee on rules, the
power of she house. May the $50 hence-
forth have. chance to do something!
Lei us welcome this as harbinger OF
better times. Let us hail this as sign
that. at least once after many years,
upon one measure at least, for reasons
satisfactory to it, this mighty committee
on rules has hardened to the voice OF the
public and has given the house Of repre-
sentatives little opportunity to do
something justly important.
/ do not wish, however, to grow too
hopeful nor too optimistic. There is too.
| 1s,5cl, Is The past. there are too many
examples to the contrary too much Of
evil in the spirit which governs the COM