Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-19
RULES 70 Be CHANGED.
Cannon Revolt Means New Sys-
tenn in the House When Next
Congress Organizes
SPEAKER HELD NOT TO sLAMl
Popular cIamor Against Present Reg
uiations Probably Will Result in
Speedy Remedy - Responsibility for
], Rules is With the House - OLD sys-
tenn impossible.

sl5 IS
Washington, Sept. 1s.-As Washing
ton views the revolt against Speaker
Cannon, 1t Is a revolt against a system
rather than against man. The house
itself makes the rules under which 1t is
possible for the speaker to be an auto
craft, and the house at any time may
unmake them. Any man in the position
OF speaker. it is pointed out here would
inevitably, when confronted with a leg
islative proposition. which he firmly
behaved was contrary to public policy,
use all the power given him under the
rules to defeat that proposition; and
that IS what Mr.. Cannon has done.
In former years other speakers. nota-
bly, Mr.. Henderson OF Iowa, have been
more ai b.tsa1y than Mr.. Cannon ever
dreamed of being. but the difference
between tina. time and the present Is
that the attention of thee public was
not hxed on what was going on In the
one case, while it has been in the
other Mr. Henderson, and even Mr..
Reed, ruled with very high hand. but
it was with respect to proposed legisla-
ton In which the public had no great
interest, for which reason what they
did attracted little attention outside Of
congress itself. But Mr.. Cannon has
ruled, also with hand somewhat high,
with respect to legislation IN which
the public has an interest. Thus 1t
happens that the attention OF the coun-
try is being focused. on the speaker
ship as it has not been since the pres
ent rules Of the house were first adopt
ed, during the incumbency of Speaker
Reed,
Old system Impossible.
There is no dispute but: some such
drastic action as Mr., Reed proposed,
{ and which he had embodied in the new
rules, was necessary If the house were
to continue to do business. Under the
old system 1t was possible for q small
minority to obstruct public business
and keep majority awaiting Its
pleasure This Mr.. Reed maintained
was contrary to the American doc
trine OF majority rule, and altho the
democrats protested against the adop-
ton OF the new rules, and frothed at
the mouth In denunciation OF them and
Of Reed, It Is noteworthy that as soon
as they came into control of the house,
wit. Mr.. Crisp as speaker, they
adopted them without change. They
came to q realizing sense of. the I'M.
portance OF the rules as soon as the
country had placed upon their should
4 ers responsibility for the actions of
the house.
Both Henderson and Cannon, 1t is
pointed out here by parliamentary ex-
perts, carried the rules farther than the
house had originally intended. thru
their desire to prevent the passage Of
bills from time to time. That this has
been the case the biennial protest made
by Congressman Hepburn OF Iowa
against the adoption Of the rules, made
at the beginning Of every congress,
when the rules are up for considera-
ton, is q striking proof. Mr.. Hepburn
has maintained, with much eloquence
and solidity OF argument, that the
speaker under the rules was clothed
with entirely too much discretionary
authority, and that on occasion 1t
would be possible for him to prevent
s the enactment of legislation in which
not only congress but the whole coun-
try was directly Interested
Responsibility With House.
But in spite Of the Hepburn protest,
the house has gone on, once In two
years, and adopted the old Reed rules.
The criticism. it is alleged here, should
be directed against the house, and not
primarily against the speaker. Mr..
Cannon is doing only what his immedi-
ate predecessors have done. it is
claimed, and IL there is need Of re-
form, the house itself should take up
the rules and so change them as to
meet the criticism.
Z This, it is now believed it will do,
sdthert during the short session Of con-
gress, the coming winter, but what is
more likely, when the Sixty first con-
gress, to be elected in November, be-
gins work, probably at a special tariff
session after next March 4. Meanwhile
the tendency Of human nature to CEN
ter an attack on an individual and not
on an abstract principle, In manifesttng
itself in. a revolt against Cannon.
ut is believed in Washington that
this revolt whether It assumes large
proportions or confines itself to tso-
lated congressional districts here and
there. will have a wholesome effect on
the country regardless of whether
Mr. Cannon is returned to the house
In November and, being returned. Is
reelected speaker Parliamentarians
here say that the agitation that is
now going on will call attention to
the weaknesses of the present rules,
and surely cause their amendment in
the direction Of curtailing of the
power Of the speaker. That power,
they frankly admit, is quite out of
proportion to that left with the house
as a whole. and they add that it will
be entirely possible to restrict the
speaker without return to the old
DAYS OF minority rule under fill
buster On this theory, Washington
thinks that the anti-Cannon agitation
is wholesome and sure to lead to i'm
proved conditions.
Distinguished From White Mans.
Uncle Tom, the village plasterer, was
making some repairs on his hen
house.
Dis" he hawhawed," is de Guild
mans bird den"
How to Avoid Appendicitis.
Most victims of appendicitis are
those who are habitually constipated
Orino Laxative Fruit Syrup cures
chronic constipation by stimulating the
liver and bowels, and restores the ma
turaI action OF the bowels Orino Lax