Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-15
[Collier's Weekly1

4 tSOl1lCI VCShlSl
So John Smith-we are speaking now
of the old rules, the present rules-in-
PRODUCES an income tax bill. Introduce
ing 1t is the simplest thing In the
world. He takes sheet OF paper,
writes at the top, "SiXtieth Congress,
Second Session" Below he writes out
! the bill. Then he folds the paper, walks
up the aisle, and places it in a small
| square basket on a desk close by the
right hand of ]. Cannon, speaker.
That is all. The bill is introduced.
The fact is duly recorded in the pa
pers back home. John Smith gets what
glory may be his. OF he is gallery
player, he tries to make his people be-
ieve that is all there is to it; if he is
a sincere man, he does considerable
worrying about the future of his bill
and his obligations to his constitu-
ents).
Now what next? In a moment of
| leisure, Cannon takes that basket full
of new bills and runs thru them hast
| lily. Each one he sends to a commit
| tee. What smiles Cannon may smile
when he runs across John Smiths in
come tax bill, what thoughts he may
| think, are matters of speculation,
which belong in the uncertain field of
Fother mems motives. But even within
that field some things are unreasonably
certain, Any member of congress will
tell you that John Smiths income tax
bill will be sent to the judiciary COM
mittee-the safest of all Cannon'S safe
committees. Cannon appointed that
committee, and he made it iron-bound,
bomb proof and water tight. Not a
republican on that committee but has
an understanding with Cannon, ex-
press or implied, that the committee
will report favorably only such bills
as Cannon desires. This is the COM
mittee which has earned the popular
title 1.-The Morgue," the final resting
place of those bills which congress
would pass If they came to vote. but
which Cannon wants disposed of with
out the unnecessary and embarrassing
publicity of 391 "ayes" and mays" To
know just what this committee can DO
in the way of suppression, consider this
bit of official history:
A popular and powerful congress-
man, and one of the ten best const1-
.utonal lawyers in the house Ilittle-
field of Maine) introduced a bill-no
need to describe it echnicaly-Which
would prevent railroads and express
companies from shipping Original
packages" Of liquor into prohibiti"1
states from outside. a necessary bill
demanded by every one of the prohi-
bition states The official legend on
that bill says: Referred to the COM
lnittee on judiciary. Dec. 5. 1907" That
was the second day of the congress
which ceased this fourth of March, one
year and three months from the day
this was written. This bill is still in the
committee And this story could he
duplicated about score of equally
important bills.
Congressman Smiths income tax bill
is in the committee ON judiciary. What,
now, can Congressman Smith do?
Smith can do, literally, nothing what
ever except whine to his friends in
the cloakroom. And in most cases, be-
ing prudent man, he won't do that,
lest the speaker or the speakers half
score intimates hear aboutfit, in which
case he will be Gin bad" an insurg mt
entirely, deprived of the only present
avenue to power in congress-which is
to play the sycophant to Cannon, show
a. willingness to swallow orders, and,
finally, worm a way into that little
freemasonry of Cannon's intimates
John Smith is the choice of 100000
people; the income tax bill may be
earnestly desired by 3aQ out of the '9l