New-York tribune., 1909-03-16
THE sITCATIOy IN TIE HOUSE,

THE SITCATION IN TIE NOT ST.
TosaDb {; Cannon was reelected Speaker of
the House of Representatives when that Dody
met and organized yesterday in pursuance Oh
President Tafts call for an extraordinary ses-
sion of Congress. Few intelligent observers ol
politics have considered Mr.. Cannons re-elec
tion in doubt. The Speaker who under present
conditions could not succeed himself would De
r political anomaly. The power centred IN the
office makes its holder pretty nearly invuiner-
able. Since 1860 changes in the Speakership
have been caused only by an incumbents death,
resignation or defeat for reelection, or by the
ousting from power of the party which he rep
resented. Samuel J. Randall was three times
elected 10 the SDeakership. although he held
views on the dominant issue III politics-pro-
lection versus free trade-at variance win
those held by the majority element i'll the
Democratic party. 1t was only after control
Of the House had been lost by the Democracy
for brief period and then regained that the
free trade element could displace him in the
Speakership by Mr. Carlisle.
Mr.. Cannon's reelection was natural and
politically advisable. He was the candidate OF
a large majority of the Republican members
of the House and was easily nominated in the
House caucus. The SpeakeTshp is political
office Of great Importance. and the party IN
control Of the lower branch of Congress would
he omen 10 grave censure if it failed 10 make
the choice of a Speaker party issue. An ALI
ance between Republican members dlSSatiS-
fed with Mr.. Cannon's methods and the Demo
cratic minority to defeat the nominee of the
Republican caucus would have been an in9N-
cusable political blunder, The responsibility
for legislation is in Republican hands, and that
responsibility would have been repudiated if
Republican Democratic coalition had been
formed 10 take charge of legislation.
So far as the rules of the House are con-
cerned we cannot see that they involve pO-
litcal or partisan issue. The fight over the
rules is not a fight between parties over the
substance Of legislation but one between groups
OF members over the forms 10 be observed In
preparing and passing legislation. The issue is
between the consolidation Of power in a few
hands and its fairer distribution among the
great mass of members. Under the old system
the Speaker. once elected. became the master
of the House. The heads of the chief commit
ices. who worked with him, absorbed the lions
share Of the favors which he had TO bestow.
and the great majority Of the members had
10 be content with supernumerary parts, hav
ing little 10 do with legislation except TO vote
on roIIcalls The Speaker theoretically repre-
sents one Congress district out of 39l. But
for most practical purposes his one vote in the
House has constituted a majority.
The failure Of the fight for thorough amend
ment Of the House code is TO be regretted. But
that fight has yielded practical results. since
the House accepted yesterday several modifica-
tions of the rules prepared by Mr.. Fitzgerald Of
Brooklyn. who organized Democratic secession
and thereby repaired the earlier defeat Of the
House organization. II has also been helpful in
showing that, while the present system is still
powerful enough to maintain itself public feel
ing against it is growing. II cannot hold out
much longer against the pressure of intelIi-
gent sentiment We expect TO see the liberalza-
tion of the House code begun yesterday carried
much further in the next Congress The rules
will be on trial as never before and members
VINO have supported them out Of sef-interest
rather than from conviction will be less likely
TO think that the old absolutism is impregnabe.
and therefore necessary. The old code will pass,
and its passing will mark the beginning Of an
era of freeT action. discussion and individual
development in the House of Representatives.