Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-12-18
REBELS"
PREPARED
TO FIGHT

washington, Dec. 18.-Encour-
aged by the sentiment they found
at their respective homes this sum
mer and the general Western dis
content with the Payne-Aldrich tar
iff law the so-called insurgents or
progressive members of the republic
can party, are here in force pre-
pared to fight the organization in
both houses to standstill in this
session of Congress. But an exam
ination Of the state of Affairs at the
capitol shows that they have a hard
task mapped out for them. Their
fight will consist largely in making
things as unpleasant as possible for
Cannon and Aldrich.
"And we can worry them consid-
erably," Congressman Murdock the
red haired insurgent leader from
Kansas, says with a smile.
To which Uncle Joe smiles grimly
and remarks that he is used to un-
pleasant things by this time. And
then he pounds his desk with
sleeves rolled up and says, Let
them come on. I'm just spelling for
a fight"
The fight against the organization
in the special session last summer
was necessarily confined to the tariff
bill, but this winter the republicans
will split on several issues. The
postal savings bank, the tariff COM
mission idea, reform in interstate
commerce legislation, and several
other things that were promised by
the platforms of both parties, will
be storm centers, after the regular
appropriation bills are disposed of
and perhaps in between times.
The big problem for the progress
sives in the House is how to get Il
vote on any of these or kindred is
ues. The rules under which the
lower house OF congress roes busi-
ness were framed so that recogni-
tion of a member is left to the
Speaker--and If the organization OF
the house wants to discourage
amendments to measures the con-
gresham who is anxlously clamor-
ing to present one finds that he
can't catch the Speakers eye
Then, too, the house considers on
ly those measures that are reported
by committees All the business of
the house is framed up in commit
tee. Their meetings are secret, and
IL the majority desires to kin a bill,
II IS simply left In q convenient pig
eon-hole TO die a natural death. And
ali the kings horses cannot force
report either favorably or unfavor-
ably so as to give the house chance
to vote on It. This method is the
favorlte way of killing legislation
against which even majority Of
the members would not dare to
record their votes. And Uncle Joe
holds every committee in the palm
OF his hand.
What will probably happen is that
the insurgents, aided and abetted by
the democrats, will use every par.
liamentary devise known to legisla-
tion to pry loose some part of the
machine
In the senate, It is n little diff
ferent. With but ninety members,
the upper house proceeds on rules
that allow any member to talk as
long as he wants about anything or
nothing, and to offer amendments 60
any bill that may be up. Senator
AIdrieh thinks that he can hold his
forces in line as we'll as he did when
the tariff bill was up. The insur-
gents, led by Cummins and LaFol-
lette say that the tariff was a party
measure, and they point with pride
TO the dents that the tariff discus
sion left In the armor OF the Senator
from Rhode Island. They are going