The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-15
ANTHONY EXPLAINS.
Analyses His Record ON Pending
Tariff Legislation.

Congressman Dan Anthony, who is in
Leavenworth this week awaiting the
action of the senate on the tariff bill
before his return to Washington, has
written to the Topeka Capital the fol-
lowing letter In defense of his congress
s.onal record which had been assailed
in Capital editorial last week:
In an editorial in Fridays Topeka
Capital discussing the attitude of var
ious members of the Kansas delegation
complished in the rules of congress,
some statements are made which are
neither fair nor true. One would be
loath to believe that the Capital will
fully desired to misstate facts or to
refuse credit to a Republican congress
for the adoption of meritorious reforms
in the rules of the house of represen-
tatives.
The facts are that the rules of the
house have been completely and abSo-
lutely changed SO as to carry out every
one of the reforms ever asked for by
the so-called insurgents. with the sin
gle exception of the foolish idea of the
appointment of committees by a COM
mittee on committees.
Those are the cold facts, and would
it not be fairer for the Capital to ad-
nit the truth? When the reform move
ment to change the rules first started
i'll the last congress. the writer of this
article espoused the movement. The
only change in the rules then asked
for or thought really necessary was
the Calendar Wednesday, which allows
every bill reported from a committee
to come to a vote automatically in the
house, regardless of the speakers So
called power of recognition.
Instead of Cannon or anyone else
Suggesting compromise" on the first
adoption of the Calendar Wednesday,
gressmen, Scott, Campbell and Anthony,
with six members from other states,
Urged upCr the committee on rules
OF the house consisting of the Vice
President-elect Sherman. John Dalzell
and Speaker Cannon to concede the re-
form asked for. 1t may have been a
forced concession or may be not, but
the truth is that the three Kansas
members had weight enough to con-
vince these gentlemen and gained their
point and the house adopted the Calen-
dar Wednesday idea, and the first re-
form in house rules was accomplished
and the fight was won over the votes
of the most radical of the insurgents
who rather than see others secure the
credit of the changes IN the rules they
were after, evidently desired their re-
forms to fail so that they could again
be made an issue to give excuse for
and further "insurging' grandstand
plays for the consumption of the voters
out home in Kansas and elsewhere
When the question of the adoption
of the rules for the Sixty-first congress
was before the house last March, came
the Fitzgerald amendments which were
adopted ard the Calendar Wednesday
was still further strengthened and it
row does takes a two-thirds vote to
change this day to the regular order
instead OF a majority. the Capitals
statement to the contrary notwithstand-
ing.
Another reform in the rules gained
at this time was the adoption of the
| unanimous, consent calendar One of
the customs which had grown up with
the procedure of the house was the
habit among members of having to go
to the speakers room to have their
names placed on his list for recogni-'
unanimous consent was to be asked.
One vote opposed, whether it be the
speakers or that of any one else, could
of course block any unanimous consent
legislation, and the practice was thus
developed for the speaker to frequently
refuse recognition in his room instead
of waiting to record his vote against
the measure on the floor, a custom
which was unquestionably wrong and
vicious and which the establishment of
a unanimous consent calendar Sc
cured by the pass @e of the Fitzgerald
resolution. now abolished. BY this re-
form the speaker of the house is shorn
| of his power of recognition for this
class of bills and a member can now
have his bill recorded on this calendar