The Washington times., 1908-07-03
Democrats Would Throw
Off Cloak of Secrecy in
Committees.
BLOW TO CANNON
ALSO PROMISED
Seek Elimination of Political lob
berry" BY a Small Coterie of
House Managers.
By 7. c. WELLIVER.

DENVER. JULY 3-Two new planks
have been brought forward for insertion
in the Democratic platform Both, It
IS stated, Will be submitted to Mr..
Bryan and his advisers, and the men
who have framed them are confident
that they will be approved and adopted.
First is the proposal to declare that
the national HOUSE has fallen from its
original estate Of representative body,
and has, under the Cannon domination,
become a mere instrumentality to reg
lister the will and wish Of a coterie
OF political managers headed by the
Speaker and composed of the majority
party's members of the Committee on
Iules.
This plank is aimed TO gather 20 the
Democracy the discontented elements
which are opposed to Cannon, ana
which believe that Cannonism was re-
sponsible for the failure of the last
session TO accomplish results along the
line cf the Presidents policies 1t Is
regarded as a certain vote getter-
Demands Open Meetings.
Next TO this. and by many regarded
as even more important. is a demand
for plank which shall declare that the
rules OF both houses should be so
mittee Of either house, dealing with
other than executive or foreign arrairs,
shall hold a session behind closed doors.
II is explained that the real business
of Congress Is done IN committee. and
that SO long as there is no responsibility
for the work Of committees, and Il can
be done in private, there is no chance
10 prevent jobbery and the domination
Of special interests.
Therefore. II is demanded that all com
mittee sessions for consideration Of
general legislation shall be as public
as sessions OF the houses themselves.
Mr. Monnett. of Ohio: Judge Wade
or Ohio. and other leaders who are al
ready on the ground. have expressed
themselves as strongly in favor Of these
rIanks. and as determined TO secure
for them a hearing before the resolu-
lions committee
Parker Makes Stir.
A fine parcel Of potential trouble ar
rived yesterday in the form OF a New
York telegram presenting the remark
able set Of resolutions which Judge
Alton b. Parker viii offer in conven-
ton. expressive Of regret at the death
Of Grover Cleveland and paying him a
tribute which is universally regarded
as one part of laudation for Cleveland
and about five parts of roast for Bryan
Whether there will be protest against
its adoption is uncertain. Some Of
Bryan people say they will offer a sub
stitute which will contain ample praise
for Cleveland without necessary re-
Election on Bryan. The taste Of Judge
Parker in proposing thus TO employ so
delicate occasion as a resolution over
a deceased eX-PTesident for the purpose
OF Injecting trouble is severely criti-
ctscd- The incident is declared demon
stratiOn OF the extreme TO which Par
ker is willing 10 go 10 make trouble.
Politics in Denver.
They DO their politics out here IN
Colorado in a fashion that fairly
raises the hair on conservative East
eraers. Senator Patterson's papers, the
Denver News and Times, are making
the fight for Bryan in the local press.
The Post is against him. The Patter-
son papers directly charge that the in
terests" whose money is being used
freely in the johnson campaign have
subsidized the Post and are using it to
push along the fight on Bryan. It is
charged that the Denver and Colorado
corporation crowd now in the ascend
ant in the city and State affairs has
got control Of a big line of convention
seats and is planning to pack the con-
Venuon galleries against Bryan
The movement of the antf-Bryan
forces to call a great delegate caucus
before the convention meets and make
a determined effort to have a petition
sent 70 Bryan asking him 70 withdraw
IS demo ounced by the Patterson parties
as the dirtiest of politics
A movement has been started which
mas no basis whatever. aside from the
LContInued ON Ninth DE-