The Washington times., 1908-11-27
Fighting Kansan Declares
People Demand Change
in House Rules.
RIGHTS TAKEN AWAY
BY THE LEADERS
Recalls From Own Sad Experiences
Snag Upon Which Machines"
Opponents Run.

The House of Representatives will
be torn bone from bone and sinew from
sinew The people are awaking, and
they viii investigate. There Is coming
a change in the rules OF the House, so
that once more the representatives of
the people viii be responsible. not to a
machine, but TO their constituencies
In such plain but definite terms. Repre-
sentative Victor Murdoch OF Kansas,
the man who was most instrumental
In killing" the railroad mail grab.
showed this morning that net only Is
he opposed TO the reelection OF Uncle
Joe Cannon % the Speakership, but
that he is ready to raise the standard
Of revolt against the House machine
I'm the last campaign" declared dr.
Murdoch, there was d feeling all over
the country, particularly in the western
part, that the House must be given TO
the peoples representatives; that the
machine must be broken and that once
again the lower branch Of Congress will
be- what the fathers intended II TO be.
People Are Waking Up.
II don't know what The sentiment Of
the members Of the House is Nobody
knows that. do not know how many
are willing to go into such a tight. but
L do know that the people or the coun-
try are making up and are Investigating.
az only the people can investigate. and
that a change IS surely, undeuiably com
ing
There has never been such control
OF the United States Senate in the last
dozen years; there has never been the
control IN q State convention, in any
assenlblage Of a political character. as
there IS today In the Hcuse Of Repre-
sentatives.
II do not believe -hat It IS generally
KNOWN but George Washington himself
was one OF the mes who fought 70 make
the House just what Il was formerly.
j do not remember who IL was ia the
Constitutional Convention - probably
Pinckney-whO advocated a reduced rep
resentatiOn and a long term Washing
ton left the chair, went down on the
floor and fought those propositions and
won.
Can't Combat House Rules.
The House was meant to represent
the people and to be responsible to
them. It was designed that the repre-
sentation should be ample, and those
Representatives should be compelled 10
20 back to face their constituencies fire.
cuently-at least every two years-not
four. as some members OF the present
House would have II
1T isn't an easy thing for man to
come to Washington and enter night
against the rules He comes here and
likes the life and wants 10 stay II
he tries to oppose the leaders he gets
nothing but a wade through an -ty'
stream. He must knucklz TO the ma
chine or get nothing.
But while the issue Of = change IN
the rules or the question If a Speaker
other than Cannon was not the issue
OF the campaign. the people are surely
aroused. and viii undoubtedly investl-
gate for themselves.
Il don't believe in too loose a sys-
tenn There must be some closure.
There can be no business Of moment
transacted without some rules. The
French chamber OF deputies is an er-
ample, for there any man who Is
strong enough with a club can gain
the tribune.
Hare to Gain Floor.
But in the House, where no man can
get his measure up unless ne sees the
Speaker firsts where he can't gain the
floor without being in with the ma
chine, there Is not that freedom which
the fathers wanted, and which IS es-
sential 10 the success of the nation
life.
And there's just one thing more.
Don't think we re grauCstaud players
we men who come down here 10 night
that machine. Personally I've waded
through that icy stream too often TO
know what II means 10 oppose the
Speaker and the rules" and the big
kansan. looking as II he IS ready TO be
gin his big fight at the drou of hat
ffraE In 80 .TrF~