The Washington times., 1908-11-27
REFUSE TO CAUCUS
PLAN Of GARDNER
New England Representa-
tive Gives Voice to Opin-
ion on House Rules.

Representative Gardner of Massachu-
setts raised a New England voice to-
day, In favor OF amendment Of tina
House rules. and gave out q statement
In which he indicates that the time
has come TO force reform of the House
rules. by refusing TO caucus on rules.
This is the first voice that has been
raised for this kind o. war. MT. Gard
ners however, Is a fighter, as viii be
recalled by people whose memories go
back 10 the Massachusetts state con-
vention last spring when MT Gardner,
singie-handed and alone, went out and
secured an expression in favor OF Tart.
in that convention, which broke the
back Of the ''allied movement Ia. New
England
Mr.. Gardner's statement was handed
out at the White House Immediately
after a talk with the President. The
connection with the fact that he had
Just come from the Executive closet, tor
Mr.. Gardner specifically explained LhaL
ne had not conferred about the subject
With the President, Judge Taft. Senator
Lodge, OF anybody else. These are just
Gardner's views; nobody else's, ana
resenting no conference with anybody
else, he said
Gratifes Insurgents.
But the statement is extremely graft
flying to the House insurgents, because
It indicates clearly that there IS posi-
bility of a division of serious conse-
| quence in New England. Heretofore it
has been felt that the cts-Allegh8nian
region could be set down as pretty sol
| idly opposed to Interference with the
present rules and Speaker, This great
block of strength in favor Of the estab-
! lished order has been tremendous ap-
| parent obstacle to revolution IN the
Z ~ Faasa q q
| insuperable.
But Mr.. Gardner has proved himself
good Judge of New England sentiment
] He is a beliWether auscpg the ln0epeno-
/ ents Of that section, and he mas had an
! experience of insurgency thaL especlaLy
e0uiDs him for the active part which
I # IS eSypected he viii take IN the COM
/ ing contest He has been a long time
1 student Of the rules ana lneit "oIALIiies'
and he has in mind some plan or max
fDq the Rules Committee elecLlNe Dy
| tbe bodv of the House, increasing It's
T1erobership, and making II, IN shoEt,
! resDonsiblestO the House Tor Ihe oIueI
% - TToT,osal to refuse 10 caucus on
~,,ias is not new. Representative 1oWn-
send of Michigan, one or tne nus ~ y. ~ a.
| isina Speakershlp pOsSlbllIlSa itl a. f-5 "a
I g,,rgant movement, mas Adu ~ IA 49,
| 80 many mem bers have E4IJtIly 6A-
| Dreszed the opinion thaL II - tLlS ~ -
yUaV TO achieve results II II ~ .i.,i
| keep enough RepuDIlcalnl3f Sin7fnr "a ma
ns1rftv caucus 10 prevent blHq5il5 q i, -
iCytty of the House to the Repuplc<lH
/ caucus action; and tnen 10 aeGuL0 D.
operation with the l.l noLl-C ~ e4I'l f6y the
/ DI16Iicans and the Democrats, lTt - ~
PC-D.,,rsa IF amending the rules II Is d
Pttpte- PSi Startling proposal, but II is re
Il.a-5ed "a avl5ed Is the one which contains most
! pTqiillsSS prom sSSsraneris statement, as handed
~ ~ az the White House this morning.
( Ccss1-af,IIIV written for the purpose HI
lows Mr. Cardner's Statement.
| .er -T,sI not decide how to vote on the
/ e,~aaI-arship until I know the names OF
/ - aar5idateg. Personally, l am more
| ttt4.o,soete5 in a change in the rules tnan
/ ~ a change in the SpeakeTshlp. II we
| -,1aT,hers Of the House continue 70 daop1
! T,,Ias abandoning our power ana slilLt-
/ i tulsS -. resnonsibility onto the Speaker s
/ -tSS,,Idsrs we must not go back 10 our
( coDsfituents and cry baby, because ne
I exercises that power, Whiie we C CLloSI
/ fully leave him to bear ali the respoh-
,'EIifberto the rules have been pre-
| scribed by the majority IN the par -
| cauc11s- in other words, Dy a mdJoIlI.
/ oF a majority, and the motive poEAi
| has been supplied by sum sllis-i iei
subdivision of the House
/ ssTbe time has now come When those
Of us who are dissatisfied must do ore
of three. things either carry the pa ~
/ caucus refuse to caucus on rules, OF
| shut up. / believe that our best chance
! lies in the second line Of procedure
| Senator Lodge, father-in-law of Mr..
/ Gardner. appeared at the White House
/ a few moments after Mr Gardner had
! left He was told about Mr. Gardner
manifesto, and asked for an opinion.
/ "Gardner has a wa of thinking and
! saving things entire.y on his own ac-
/ count" said the Senator. laughingly.
/ he distfaimed any knowledge of what
/ ETr Gardner might be cC- -era .5is-t -
but apropos of the observation quoted
| he added;
.sTbev seem TO like it up in his dis
] trict. he ran about 5000 ahead of Taft
/ In the election.
Shatfer's Schemes Of Floral.
| decorating are invariably rtistic. 14th
/ and I.-AdVt