The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-04-12
lsnecinl Correspondence.l

WASHINGTON, d. c., April 2. 49,
The republican insurgents in the
House of Representatives, and their
allies, the democrats, lost their fight
for revision of the House rules for
two reasons: they lacked intelligent
leadership, and they had no practi-
val plan of revision to propose. Had
they been led by some master hand,
and had they offered to the House
some tangible, sensible modification
of the old rules, they would have
carried the day, for 1t was demon
strated that they had the voted to de-
feat the Cannon forces. But when
they muddled affairs, and stirred up
strife in their own camp, and when
Fitzgerald of the York, a democratic
believer in revision. came forwar'
with a definite plan for revising the
rules, the democrats divided and
enough of them Joined with the Can
non forces to utterly rout the insur-
gent band and the bulk of their de-
mocratic cohorts, and the old leaders
sustained a substantial victory.
The very fact that the revisionists
had won their fight, and then threw
away their victory, was strong evil
dence that the men leading the clam
or against Cannon were incompetent
to undertake to revise the rules. And
the situation which they themselves
brought about was ample justification
for republicans who stood by Cannon
and his leaders. The insurgents were
for riot and disorder, and had they
carried the day, the House of Repre-
sentatives would have become a
mob; disorder and riot would have
been rampant, and business, instead
of being facilitated, would have beer
hindered. The anti-Cannon men were
not equal to the job they had under.
taken
When the real attitude of the allied
forces was shown up in the debate
on the rules, it was found that the
republican insurgents were camoring
to take from the Speaker the right
to appoint the House committees, Du,
were willing to have committees maze
up by a special committee of 10, chos
en- by Champ Clark, the minority
leader Clark, of course, had chosen
a packed" committee which he coulC
dominate. Thus, it became known
that the insurgents were really try
ing to transfer to the minority leader
the right to make committee assign
ments in the House-a most unheard
of thing in parliamentary procedure
The scheme would have been baC
enough under any circumstances, Du
the fight showed up Champ Clark
the minority leader, in very poo
with less credit than any other mai
who participated. He demonstrate,
his own utter lack of fitness for part
leadership. for he himself, in tn
in the democratic lineup, which re
suited in giving the Cannon force
more than enough support to defea
the insurgent movement. Clark NO
only snubbed, but insulted the bright
est man on the democratic side G
the House, and that insult was re
scented by all of Fitzgerald's friend:
Had Clark been even reasonabl
shrewd leader he would not have di
vided his own forces in the midst @
a contest
But Clark made other tactica
breaks He declared that the repuh
lican insurgents had entered into
hide-bound agreement to act solidl
with the democrats first, last and a
1.-THE time. When cross-questioned o
this point, he reiterated his state
ment That admission placed the re
publican insurgents on the plane wit