Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-10-30
Nelson TO Kirkland
To the Editor +:


on the question of "Speaker Cannon"
and the "Rules Of the House" The
best way to Judge any effort is by
results. The results, | now know,
fully justify my course in Congress.
Instead of buttlng my head up against
stone wall, making myself ridicu-
lous, | carefully prepared plan, for
titled myself and at the Upportune
moment / acted, and thus succeeded
in attracting the attention Of the ma
tion to the importanc of the Rules of
the House.
Any one no has read my speeches
will understand my position perfectly.
Here | can give but brief outline Of
it. More than a year before the
Democratic party had adopted my
plank on the subject of the Rules Of
the House, | was advocating reform
of these rules not only in my district,
but in Congress. Now. Mr.. Kirkland,
for purely partisan reasons, would
have you believe that ] am entitled
to little or no credit. He criticIses
me for inconsistency. But is Mr..
Kirkland consistent? He supports
Mr.. Bryan. Has Mr.. Bryan been
consistent? He supports Mr.. Aylward.
Has Mr.. Aylward been consistent?
He supports Mr.. jones. Has Mr..
Jones been consistent? Now MIR.
Jones stands for a primary election
law, and for other popular reforms: !:
but in his editorials for the last dozen
years he has fought these reforms and
the men who advocated them. Is Mr..
Kirkland consistent in supporting such
inconsistency
In urging parliamentary reform, |
was after results. Mr.. kirkland does
me the honor to say that | was famil-
lar with the rules at the opening of
the last Congress. He quotes IN part
my Waterloo speech. | had made a
careful study, at the time, of many
of the evil effects of the rules. but |
had not had time to make a study of
the parliamentary procedure of other
nations and to formulate remedies. 1t
is easy to criticise; it is more diff
cult to construct. Any one can stand
up and denounce and abuse. but it is
the part Of statesman to suggest the
remedy for the abuse. After much
study | realized that this reform
could not be brought about in day,
and that it might be dangerous to the
cause itself to undertake anything un-
defensible position The reform must
have the support of the people, an
organization of members in the House
irrespective of party was necessary,
rational remedies had to be formulated.
and general program agreed upon.
This | had not the time to perfect at
the opening Of the last Congress. To
have bolted the party nominee for
Speaker and to have refused to vute
for the rules, the unanimous decision
of party caucus, before either was
vi thlOOB IhC SUdAGIy WOuIJ
have put ne outside of the breast
works and would have handicapped
me seriously in my work. No man
bolts Ills party unless Re C; n JUS ify
the bolt. My vote alone would have
accomplished nothing. When the
rules were up for adoption, did ask
for five minutes of time in which to
make my protest and explain my
position, but time was denied me.
This fact was published in the Wash
ington dispatches at the time. To
have acted alone in opposition to
caucus action, would have made me
the butt Of ridicule, and | would have
been laughed out of court. | believe
in acting with tact and judgment.
The outcome has fully justified the
wisdom of my course. Without
arouslng animosities, | had time to
prepare, to organize, and to fortify
myself. At the right time, when the
people were restless over the fact
that the Speaker and the House lead
ers were blocking the Roosevelt poll.
cies, spoke pointing out, as clearly
as could, how it was possible for a
few to block all remedial legislation
thrUugth the arbitrary power afforded
them under the rules. In this way
only GUILD | have made the people
realize how vitality the rules affect
the interest of all the people.
Let me ask MIR. kirkland this
question: Do you believe that reform
IF the rules of the House will be
accomplished as partisan matter?
| believe that j. will only be brought
about when it is made a patriotic re-
form and is supported by the best men
of both parties. Will you not conceds
thlt, in view of my Investigation and
study and thought upon this subject,
| am better equipped than my oppon-
ent to further thorough going parlia
mentary reform in the Huuse of Repre-
sentatives?
Respectfully,
John M. Nelson.