New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-26
MAY CALL PARSONS
ON CANNON DEAL"
Speaker to Ask Inquiry by
House, Friends Sag.
From The Tribune bureau l

From The Tribune bureau
Washington, Oct. 2-That Representative
Parsons may be called on to prove be
fore the bar of the House his charge that
Speaker Cannon entered into an improper
deal with Tammany members of Con-
Eress for the Derpetuation Of the existing
rules and the defeat of the insurgents"
is the prediction of some of the Speakers
friends who are arriving in Washington.
These friends of Mr. Cannon say he is con-
siderably worked up over the charges made
by Mr.. Parsons They intimate that the
Speaker will demand an investigation of
these charges and say it is not improbable
that on the first day of the coming session
Mr.. Cannon will arise in his place. under
his right as member. and present reso-
buttons providing for the appointment of
q special committee to investigate the Par
sons allegations.
II Mr. Cannon decides to ask for an in
vestigation of the charges made by Mr..
Parsons he will find at least three prece-
dents to support his action One Of them,
that of Speaker Henry Clay. resembles the
Cannon case in many particulars. The
charge against Mr.. Clay was that he made
2 corrupt bargain, by the terms Of which
he was to support Adams for the Presi-
dency in return for his own appointment
as Secretary of State. The insinuation ap-
peared in the public prints on the authority
of George Kremer. a member of the House
from Pennsylvania. On February 8. 1875,
Speaker Clay addressed the House on the
subject and expressed the hope that he
SHOULD be allowed respectfully to solicit
in behalf Of himself inquiry into the
truth of the charges" He requested also
that the investigation be made by select
committee, chosen "by other than the or
binary methods"
Speaker Clay then called another member
to preside over the deliberations of the
House and left the hall. A resolution was
adopted providing for the appointment Of
a committee of seven members. to be ap-
pointed by ballot. Representative Kremer
refused to appear before the committee. on
the ground that he did not wish to act as
either accuser or witness. AS the committee
could not proceed further without authority
10 summon witnesses the case was dropped
Daniel Webster was chosen a member of
the committee
A second precedent for the step said TO
be contemplated by Speaker Cannon is
found IN the career of Samuel j. Randall.
of Pennsylvania. On February q, 1879, he
called John G. Carlisle. of Kentucky, a
member OF the majority party. to the
chair and brought up a newspaper publ
cation made on the authority of a special
agent of the Treasury Department, which
charged that Speaker Randall had used his
influence to the advantage OF a paper mill
in which he was a stakeholder by con-
tinuing a profitable contract with the gov
eminent. Mr.. Randall denied the charge
and offered a resolution for the appoint
ment Of a select committee of five to in
vesdgate. The committee was appointed
by Mr.. Carlisle, being composed of three
members Of the majority and two of the
minority. The committee exonerated the
Speaker by unanimous vote.
Another precedent for the demand for an
investigation by the Speaker is found in the
records OF the Congress over which James
G. Blaine presided. On December 2, 1872,
Mr.. Blaine called Samuel s. Cox. a member
of the minority. to the chair, and took the
floor to call attention to charges against
himself and other members of the House in
connection with the Credit Mobilier corpora
ton and the Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany- He moved that a special committee
Of five be appointed TO investigate, the COM
n1ittee to be named by Mr.. Cox. The reso-
luton was adopted. and Mr.. Cox appointed
a committee composed of three members OF
the majority and two of the minority. This
committee reported resolutions TO expel
Representatives Cakes Ames. of Massachu-
sets, and James Brooks, of New York, but
the final action of the House was the adop-
ton of a resolution of condemnation of
these members, the more radical action be-
ing defeated when ii was ascertained that
Messrs. Ames and Brooks had not been
elected 10 Congress when the acts COM
| planned of were committed.
These three precedents cover all the anal
ogous cases to be found in the history of
| Congress so far rs charges against Speak
er of the House may be concerned. In the
present instance, although the Parsons
! charge also involves Democratic members
! OF the House who voted for the Fitzgerald
resolution, Speaker Cannon is the central
| figure.
The manner Of selection of the commit
fee, should the charges against the Speaker
! he investigated will determine the degree
| Of confidence that will be placed in the in
vestigation itself. To permit the House to
| appoint the members by ballot would enable
the Clark Democrats and insurgent Repub-
licans 10 obtain representation on the COM
mittee perhaps majority. Without such
representation the cry of "whitewash" would
go I'D in advance of the inquiry. Speaker
Cannon IS fully aware Of this, and the posi-
ton he will take is a matter of general in
teTest