Evening star., 1909-02-18
PAVING WAY FOR KNOX
UnraveIing of Eligibility SnarI
Put Up to Conferees.
RULE ADOPTED IN HOUSE
Sharp Criticism of All Responsible
Made on Floor.
. a
MIsMANAGEMENT IS CHARGED
House Conferees Directed to Insist
on Disagreement to Items for
"Under Secretary

today adopted the Taw-
ney resolution designed to assist in un-
raveling the legislative snarl with refer
ance to the eligibility of Senator Knox of
to be Secretary of State In
the Taft cabinet.
The rule will enable the conferees on the
legislative bill to adjust the item of the
salary of the Secretary of State and re-
duce it, with concurrence of the two
houses. from $1,000 to $1,000. to conform
to the terms of the eligibility bill passed
by Congress some days ago.
The rule today was not adopted until
after the Speaker and his committee on
rules had been severely criticised for al.
legged mismanagement of the situation.
There were some funny things scattered
through the debate, too
Upon receiving notification of the
action of the House, the Senate adopted
the House resolution without comment,
and directed it's conferees to further in
sist upon the Senate amendments.
Altogether the House seemed to be
in a much more intelligent frame of mind
tian existed yesterday when Gen. keifer
touched off the bombshell hidden in the
legislative bill
Immediately after the House met, at
II o'clock this morning. the machinery
was set in motion to bring about .,ie
eligibility of Senator Knox. Represel-
tative Dalzell of Pennsylvania report ed
from the committee on rules the reso-
luton authorizing the conferees to op-
crate on the legislative bill and re-
move its infiamed salary appendix. The
on ''ary provision in relation to the law
aft aetj-S the salary of the Secretary
o .a.e."
This last authorization was included in
the resolution as result of the belief
of some Of the House leaders that, as the
situation stands at present, Senator Knox
could nc draw any salary as Secretary
of State from March 4 to July 1, regard
less of the fact that under the legislative
bill he would, on the last named date. be-
come ineligible again under the Constitu.
ton.
Quorum Not Present
There were only eighty-one members on
the floor of the House when Mir. Dalzell
called the rule. The vote on the ordering
of the previous question resulted. 20 to 81
John Sharp Williams of Mississippi pre-
viously called attention to the fact that
there was no quorum present Champ
Clark of Missouri minority leader, en-
gagng in his favorite oCsapa ton of haz-
ing the Speaker. sugs s->-.I that Mr..
Payne's postponement motion Of yester-
day provided that the Knox miX-up was
to be considered after the reading of the
journal, tomorrow
Mr.. Speaker, said Mr.. Clark, Il want
to call your attention to the fact that this
is not tomorrow but today t.ow can
we take the resolution up under such cir
cumstanceS?'
The chair will admit said Speaker
Cannon that while this is the calendar
day of Thursday, February Is. it is really
the legislative day of Monday, February
10"
Mr.. Cannon supplemented this admis-
sion, however. by the somewhat facetlouS
statement that the House was privneged
to change its mind II any time it got good
and ready. So the roll call on the previous
question was ordered. resulting in its
adoption.
Then Representative Fitzgerald Of New
York rose from nest of law books and
proceeded to roast the committee on rules
for doing something which IS prohibited
by the Revised Statutes of the United
States" He quoted from section 9, Re-
viSed Statutes. to uphold his theory that
the form in which the resolution was re-
current with a misplaced enacting clause
was illegal He admitted that he had
no hope of converting Speaker Cannon
and the members of the rule committee to
his view.
This illustrates said Mr. Fitzgerald
"the difficulties that beset the paths OF
great men,.
He denounced any condition which per-
mitted Of the commission of "a legisla-
tive atrocity" and congratulated Speaker
Cannon and the members OF the rules
committee for respecting neither the
right of members on the floor or the pro-
vision of the laws of the United States.
Il would hate to confess. he said.
that T. a lawyer. had not read as far as
the ninth section Of the Revised
Statutes.
Dalzell Is Irritated.
Representative Dalzell OF Pennsylvania
became might. irritated at the trend of
Mr. Fitzgerald's remarks. He accused
that gentleman of delighting in the dis
covery of a mares nest
His tone irritated Mr.. Fitzgerald, who
replied:
We'll. the gentleman from Pennsyl-
vania need not become peevish with me
because he has not read the ninth sec
tion of the Revised Statutes"
Representative Gillette of Massacilu-
Georgia next explained that the House
comereeS were blaneess and had not been
negligent as to the item of $4,000. stating
that the salary for the Secretary of State
had been agreed upon several days be-
fore the House PASSED the bill reducing
that salary to 5000 year.
Representative Bourke Cochran of New
York wanted to know why the committee
on rules had brought in a resolution
which did not adjust, but actually Gre
ated. a difference between the two houses.
He suggested that the House pass another
Legislative. executive and judicial appro-
priaton act, identical in all respects save
in the item for the salary of the Secretary
of State with the one which already has
passed both houses. and send 1t over to
the Senate. Then, he pointed out, it
would not be necessary to pass the pend
ing resolution.
But said Mr.. Cochran. this course,
being consistent with common sense, has
nothing to commend IT to the committee
on rules
After the laughter of the whole House
and the applause of the democratic side
had subsidized Champ Clark took occasion
to criticise in general terms what he call
ed the almost idiOtic manner in which
the business of Congress is conducted
year after year.
They have been fooling away Il lot of
time in the Senate began Mr. Clark
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