The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-16
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Ex- Congressman Case Broder-
lex Discusses ''The ISSUE"
The Attack on the Kansas Con-
gressmen.
ACTION ON THE RULES
Says That Position of the Dele.
cation Was Right.
Proposed Changes We're Not for
the Better.

Case Frederick of Holton, former
member of congress from the First
district, has taken hand in the de-
pate over the right or wrong actions
of the Kansas delegation in their
votes last spring when the effort was
made to change the rules of the house
and defeat Speaker Cannon for his
present office. There are three eIe-
ments of the party in Kansas when it
comes to a discussion of this sub
ject, the extreme progressives, the ex-
treme conservatives and those who
occupy middle ground. Mr.. Brod-
er1ck. whose experience in congress
/ entities him to speak with authority,
joins the last named class in the fol-
lowing open letter over his signature:
Editor of the Topeka Journal:
The unusual things in. Kansas politics
continue to happen. This time the
solicitude for Office to be secured in
the unusual way has forced a cam
pa1gn before due. At least we are
told the lines are forming and that
new candidates are to be put in the
field in most of the Kansas congress-
ional districts for the next primary.
What is this all about? In the
last. congressional campaign some
concern was manifested regarding the
rules and the speaker of the national
house of representatives. 1t was con-
tended by many Republicans that
Joseph Cannon was an autocrat too
arbitrary for speaker, and that the
rules invested him with too much
power. The rules which governed the
house. with slight amendments, had
served the purpose for more than
century, but time and experience had
shown that some further amendments
should be made. The Democrats in
search of an issue of some kind de-
some Of which, had they been made,
would have obstructed, rather than
facilitated, the business of the house.
Every one who has observed the
practical workings of legislative bod
les knows that there must be rules to
that the majority may control the
work of the legislation. The rules for
the government of the national house
are made by the. majority of its mem
Ibers and can be modified or abrogated
at any time by the majority. There
must of necessity be power lodged
somewhere in the house to enable
the majority to take a bill from the
foot of the calendar and place it at
the head and say how long it may be
debated and when it shall be voted
upon: Otherwise in the multiplicity of
measures the important ones might
never be reached or brought to a
vote.
Work of Committee on Rules.
"The committee on rules composed
pointed by him can report special
rule for consideration of a bill which
must be approved by vote of the
house before it is effective. The de-
bate on these special rules is often
acrimonious and criticism of the
he 5e,F f1,d Tn, II, 5es
chairman of this committee.
This committee on rules has al
ways been constituted in this way
and rightly SO. as the speaker is held
ton. we'll as for misdirection. If
the speaker had no sort of control
over the calendar vigilant minority
might, through obstructive means, Of
ten control the situation and defeat
the will of the majority.
1.-THE speaker may make mistakes
and his power may be abused, but ev-
cry speaker since the house has be-
come so large and unw1eldly has been
criticised, many times unjustly, be-
cause of the power necessarily exer-
cised under the rules. One. complaint
heard for years is that he would not
recognize members to call up for
consideration bills which were favor
ably reported and placed upon the
calendar.
cannon IECOFu rs d WI
That Mr.. Cannon. like other men,
has his faults will not be disputed,
but that he Is a strong man and has
been a useful legislator will generally
be conceded. AS speaker he has had
to take upon himself and carry the
faults and failures of others. I know
he holds opinions on some public
questions not accepted everywhere by
everybody. but in his long public ca
reer- he has never been charged with
corruption nor dishonor.
Fight on Kansas Congressman.
1T is said by the press that an ef-
fort will be made to contest and dis
place most of our delegation because
they voted for Mr.. Cannon for speak
er. The Republicans having the ma
jority in the house, Kansas congress
men would not have been expected at
home to vote for a Democrat for this
position. That would have antagon-
lied the administration, put our state
at a disadvantage, and would have
Ebeen. to say the least, ill advised. I'm
der the circumstances it seems clear
that our members were right in voting
for Mr.. Cannon and they were surely
right in voting against the proposed
amendments to the rules offered by
Mr.. Clark for a. committee to appoint
the committees is substantially the
rule that exists in the senate, and it's
practical operation there does not
commend it. The effect of this rule
in the senate has been to allow few
senators to control the business, just
as they are now doing in the tariff
Legislation.
THE amendment made to the house
rules at the beginning -of this con-
gress providing for a Wednesday cal
endar under which a bill favorably
reported may be called up by its
author for consideration and acted
upon without the previous consent of
rfEoC nach Itoy- hi ic
chance at the calendar. This was an
important innovation and will rem
edy much of the objection heretofore
urged against the power of the