The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-21
REED TACTICS
WILL Be USED
BY CONGRESS
Plan Formulated by RepubIi-
can Members to Adjourn
Extra Session at Earliest
Possible Date.
CANNON PROMOTER OF
THE PROPOSED PLAN
Only Few Committees Would
Be Appointed, Making 1t
Necessary to consider Tar
iff Alone.
BY Sheldon S. CT

Washington. Dec. 21.-Republicans
in congress lave devised plan which
they believe will result in adjourn
ment of the proposed extra session at
the earliest possible day. 1t is not
entirely proper. perhaps, to say the
republicans of the present congress de-
vised the plan. 1t originated in the
fertile and massive brain Of the late
Thomas B. Reed, and was put into op-
Grafton at the extra session which
passed the Dingley bill Immediately
after the inauguration of President
Mckinley in 1897.
If some one other than Joseph G.
Cannon is selected speaker of the 61st
congress, the plan may be abandoned.
1t will be put into operation if Cannon
is again speaker. 1t provides that
Immediately upon the organization of
the house the speaker shall appoint a
committee on ways and means, and he
nor committees necessary to the op-
Grafton Of the house, such as accounts,
enrolled bills, mileage, etc. Appoint
ment of the other committees will be
deferred until the converting of the
regular session next December. This
would force congress to confine itself
TO consideration and passage of a tar
! iff bill Members would be at liberty
to introduce all the bills they saw fit,
but as there would be no committees
to which to refer them, they would
have to lie on the speakers table un-
til the committees were appointed.
Tariff Only Measure.
Some such method is deemed nee
essary because the house organization
even should il be able to elect Cannon
speaker, does not feel that it would be
assured of always being able to con-
i troll that body If committees were
appointed and the way opened for 9th
| er legislation. the house might take
! the bits in it's teeth and run away
from the control of the organization.
| 1t is not considered desirable by the
powers that be that any measures
other than the tariff bill shall be con-
sidered at the extra session: and if
members know that the tariff bill is
all that stands between them and ad-
Journment. they will be inclined to
expedite that measure as much as pos.
s1ble.
The cabinet Makers"
Those volunteer assistants of Mr.
! Taft's who started in Immediately
after election to construct a cabinet
for the president elect now have an
opportunity to reflect on the unwis
uom of haste. 1t now appears that
not one of those early lists which
/ were put out with such a show of au
thority were even approximately cor
rect.
The writer did not join the cabinet
making crew. but he does modestly
point with pride to the fact that he
predicted that when Mr.. Taft announc
ed his choice for secretary of state il
would be a man who had not beer
mentioned in connection with the
place. The name of Senator Kno1
did not appear at the head of any o
the published cabinet states and mos
people had never heard his name men
toned in connection with the premier
ship until ii was authoritatively an
nounced that he had been selected.
1t is true that Frank II. Hitchcock
still has the call on being Postmaster
General, but no one can claim title a:
a prophet for predicting that he woult
get the place. 1t had been accepted a!
foregone conclusion from the day i
was announced that he was to TAX,
charge of the Taft campaign. James
! Wilson also figured in most of tn,
lists as secretary of Agriculture. bu
neither did that prove that those whit
compiled the lists were seers. Nh
Taft or any other republican electe,
to succeed Roosevelt. would have beel
bound to keep Mr.. Wilson until he ha'
served in the new cabinet long enough
TO break Albert Galletin's record TO
continuous cabinet service. Mr.. Taf
is going to retain Mr. Wilson until h
has broken that record, which vii
mean about three months service afte
|, March 4. bat there is no reason to be
lieye the veteran head of the Agricul
tural department will continue longe
with the Taft administration
| Aside from Hitchcock and Wilson
there isn't a man whose name appear
ed on the first lists who is now coun
ed strong cabinet possibility. E,
eryone was sure James R. CARTEL
| would be continued in the Taft cabine
either as secretary of the interior 0
| promoted to a higher portfolio. Blu
Mr.. Garfield is now reckoned as ou