The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-04-12
WHY SPEAKER CANNON WON our


the democrats-in effect made them
democrats. 1t was more than they
could stand, and "Gussie" Gardner
one of their leaders, was forced to
deny Clarks statement, and to assert
that the agreement did not extend be-
yond the fight on the rules. When
Gardner made this fling, he drove 9TH
err democrats to the support of Fitz-
gerald.
While Champ Clark the minority
leader, was ostensibly the leader OF
the combined movement against the
old House rules. "Gussie" Gardner
of Massachusetts was looked upon as
leader of the little insurgent band.
"Gussie" Gardner is about as we'll
equipped to lead any movement az
any man addressed by his colleagues
"Gussie" implies, and his name is re-
ally Augustine"
What, Gardner don't know about
the House rules, and what he don't
would fill a very large volume. He
is perhaps competent to lead cotil-
lion or conduct a debate in a sewing
circle of maiden ladies', but in a hight
with trained men, he is hopeless
impossible.
The very fact that the insurgents
and the democrats combined had a
majority of in the entire House,
and had used this majority to vote
down the old rules was reason enough
why they should have proposed and
adopted new rules But when the
crisis came, they had no new rules to
, propose; they had nothing to propose
except delay, and they made a mess
in proposing even that. They declar-
ed time was necessary to study the
rules, prior to revising them. Yet
every sane man knows that SO out
, of every 100 rules, the evolution oil
, centuries of legislative practice, needs
, no revision, and the changes demand
, ed could have been embodied IN no,
more than six new rules. If these
men, protesting against the old rules,
, bad formulated six intelligent new
rules, as substitutes for those old
rules which were considered objec.
tionable, and had submitted their pro-
:, gramme in definite form, they could
have won out. But they did not have
the ordinary intelligence to prepare
> for their fight, and naturally they
were defeated. 1t did not require six
months of study to formulate half 6
dozen rules to cure the alleged evil:
4, complained of; there was absolutely
no necessity for investigating the
great body of the rules, which are the
;, rules of all legislative bodies; there
: was merely a crying need for half {
= dozen plain, effective amendments t.
a the old Reed rules, and any maj
:, striving honestly for a revision of tn,
. rules should have been able to hav
), suggested half-dozen changes.
: But not one of them had a plan t,
s suggest-not one but Fitzgerald an,
# in view of the peculiar situation IL
# the House, his changes were adopted
: and the main body of the opposition
# was broken. The old rules could no
: have been adopted without change
J. their adoption was voted down by
v majority of four. And this same ma
/ jority would have voted in rules draw
# by the insurgents, had any been pre-
scented.
Il All of which merely goes to shov
J. the type of dubs who have raised tn
a hue and cry against the Cannon for
y ces in the House of Representatives
Il They wanted something different, bu
n not a man among them knew jus
: what he wanted.
= ~S
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