Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-27
WOULD CHANGE RULES
Gardner Doesn't Believe in
Blaming the Speaker.
DUTY OF THE MEMBERS
Declares They Are Responsible for
Methods in the House.
FAVORS INDEPENDENT ACTION
Indications of an Agreement Among
New England Representatives to
Break Away From Precedent.

Representative Gardner of Massa-
chusetts. whose aggressive. tenacious dis
position and generalship won the Massa-
chusetts delegates fer Taft last summer.
is out with the proposition that the rules
of the House. not the Speaker are re-
sponsible for unsatisfactory conduct of
affairs in the lower body of Congress. He
suggests that dissatisfied republicans con-
troll the party caucus and fix rules to suit
themselves. remain ont of the caucus and
act independently when the question of
rules comes before the whole body. or
shut up. as they have done in the past.
Independence of party caucus he believes
to be the best course.
Mr. Gardner. who is a son-in-law of
Senator Lodge. but of recognized fnde-
pendence in thinking and acting, called
on President Roosevelt today in con-
nection with small matter o. patron
age. He did not mention anything to the
President of his proposition as To cor
recting admitted errors in the manage
ment CT the House. but to Star repre-
sentative he summed up his views in this
language:
II shall not decide how to vote on the
speakership until l know the names of
the candidates.
Interested in Change in Rules.
PERSONALLY. / am more interested in q
change in the rules than i'll change in
the speakership If we members of the
House continue to adopt rules abandoning
our power and shifting our responsibility
onto the Speakers shoulders we mus,
not go back to our consti. .uentS and cry
baby because he exercises that power
while we cheerfully leave him to bear al
the responsibility.
Hitherto the rules have been pre-
scrbed by the majority in the party eau
Gus: in other words, by a majority of q
ma iority. and the motive power has beer
supplied by a StlIi smaller subdivision o1
the House.
1.-The time has now come when those ol
lis who are dissatisfied must do one o
three things-carry the parry caucus. re
fuse to caucus on rules at all or shut up
l believe that our best chance lies in thu
second line of procedure
Mr.. Gardner recalled the fact THAI Rep
resentative Hepburn has almost annually
made fight against the rules in the re
publican party caucus, and that he ha:
had considerable support. He has just a:
often, however, yielded to the majority o.
the caucus and accepted the rules adopted
Proposed Committee on Rules.
Mr.. Gardner has no detailed plan o.
procedure" as to changing the rules. Bu
he is inclined to the belief that if tine
rules are put in the hands of a good siZat
committee. elected by the House and no.
appointed by the Speaker, great deal o
complaint will be Obviated. He does no.
believe that committee elected by the
House would be dominated by the Speaker
as has been suggested, claiming that TIE
committee would feel it's responsibility Il
the House and would be under no obliga
tion to the Speaker. He does not favor
any coalition with the democrats, bu
thinks that minority OF republicans. act
! ing independently, would receive suppor
from democrats and republicans alike.
Mr.. Gardner's district has largely ap-
proved his Independent aggressiveness
and in the recent election gave him S.u5l
votes more than IL gave Taft This was
due 10 the fact that in the campaign fol
presidential cand dates he cut away from
the advice Of his father-in-law and Sena-
! tor Crane and ed a fight in the state for
Taft tha: carried everything before it.
In the present case MIR. Gardner be-
! lieveS that ag.ta' ion and ventilation o.
the question of changing the rules will
result in good and bring about desirable
amendments.
New England Support of Gardner.
Mr.. Gardner is not the only New Eng
land man ready for Il fight on the exist
ing rules. He simply happens TO be one
Of tho first TO put himself on record
Representative-elect Pl.mly of Vermont
has announ ced his opposition to the pres,
ent rules. Representa- ives Washburr
and Lawrence. both of Massachusetts
resent efforts that have been made tC
| pledge them upon tie SpeakerShlp queS-
ton. There is said 10 be more of an
understanding amCng the New Eng and
ers on the question than appears upor
the surface. Most of them are person
ally friendly to Speaker Cannon and viii
probably support him, bu. ;hey will joir
| in nlanS for new rules and new control
| Ing influences in the House.
| Representative Tawney. WHO is of the
opinion that any man strong enough tc
| be elected Speaker would be strong
enough TO have Il committee on ral>s o.
| his own selection chosen, conferred VIII
the President about a small approprid
ton The Minnesota representa- i've die
not want to comment upon the views oi
Mr.. Gardner.