The daily sentinel., 1909-12-03
| Special to The Sentinel ]
tBY TAVl

with quaking fears for the safety of
his dictatorship, as those who have
been reading the threats of the in
surgents might expect.
Quite on the other hand. Uncle
joe will, in all probability. call the
House to order with greater secret
confidence in his power to rule than
he ever possessed before.
The speakers optimism will be due
partly to his temperament. which
does not permit him to conceive for
a single moment that insurgency is a
thing to be taken seriously. and part
ly because he knows full well that he
has a firmer grip on the law-making
machinery of the United States than
he ever had before.
Be it known that wise old Uncle
Joe has gone over every part of the
mechanism which for years has en-
abled him to hold back and crush
legislation sought by the people. and
has strengthened every weak spot in
the all-powerful legislative machine
which defies majorities in the House
and listens attentiyely to but one
voice-that of the special interests.
Your Uncle Joe" has gone to the
trouble to pack every important
committee of the House BY this is
meant that in appointing members
to committees he has placed ma
jority on nearly every committee that
either thinks as he does on legisla-
tion that must of necessity come be-
fore a particular committee. or else
the speaker has appointed men that
he knows Will, beyond the shadow of
doubt. do his bidding The power
| tn
cred with the committee on rules,
makes the speaker the master and not
the servant of the House Under the
rules all the committees are appoint
ed by the speaker. All measures in
troduced in the House are referred to
committees. No measure can be con-
sidered unless reported by com
mittee, except by unanimous consent.
For instance, bills relating to a
central government bank, which
Senator Aldrich intends to eventually
force upon the country, must of ne
cessity be referred to the committee
on banking and currency.
In appointing the nineteen mem
bers of the committee on banking and
currency, the speaker saw to ii that
more than half were men loyal to the
Cannon-Aldrich-Taft triumvirate.
The former chairman OF this i'm
| portant committee was Chas. N Fow-
Ter of New Jersey. Fowler showed a
| disposition to be conscientious and
| independent in the consideration of
Legislation that came before his COM
| mittee. And he was deadly antag-
! onistic to a central government bank
Fowler was kicked out, and Aid rich s
man, Vreeland, made chairman.
Il 4 III.
| rency is not only packed in favor of
any currency legislation Senator
Aldrich's monetary commission may
recommend, but against any banking
Legislation that Aldrich may object to.
Aldrich represents the big Wall street
bankers and thus the short cut from
Rockefeller, Morgan. ct al. to the
House Committee on banking and
currency, is only too apparent
The committee on postoffices and
post roads is likewise packed against
postal savings banks. Although ev-
cry other great nation adopted postal
banks years ago, the speaker still
considers them in the vicious legis-
| lation' class. Uncle Joe" conscien-
tiously believes that as speaker il is
| incumbent upon him Individually to
decide what legislation should be al
| lowed to pass, and what should be
killed. Convinced that certain hill
should die at some point en- route
congress, the speaker does not feel
justified in giving the other 391 mem
bers of the House even chance to
vote. because they might be suffic-
iently indiscreet to pass the bill.
In the cast of postal banks, it has
\ long been contended by friends of the
| project that the lower house would
pass postal bank bill with little
ceremony if the measure should be
allowed to come up for vote.
When it is considered that Senator
| Penrose of Pennsylvania, who has
demonstrated his faithfulness to the
special interests as often as oppor-
tunities have offered, is chairman of
the committee on postoffices and post
roads in the senate. ii becomes evil
dent that postal bank legislation, so
far as the approaching session of con-
gress is concerned, is doomed before
congress is even convened.
With great carefulness Uncle Joe"
has gone over every important com
mittee, taking a friend of progressive
| Legislation off of this or that com
mittee. and filling his place with a
friend of the Big Business.
Even if committee should, CON
trary to the speakers wishes, report
bill he still has control of the mat
ter when it comes to the Touse The
power of recognition under the rules
is absolutely given to the speaker.
He can refuse, even when bill is re-
ported by committee, to recognize
any one either for its consideration
or its passage. Thus he continues
master even of the committees named
by him.
If member arises from his seat
Uncle Joe" does not recognize him.
unless previous arrangements have
been made. until he asks, For what
purpose does the gentleman arise?"
If the member will not state his pur-
pose he is not recognized, and if he
states his purpose and it is not in
accord with the views of the speaker
he refuses to recognize him.
Aware of the absolute power that
Is his under the rules, Speaker Can