The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-03-16
Asher Kinds Says They Are
Now More Firmly En-
trenched Than Ever.
is BOMB-PROOF
FOR THE SPEAKER
Changes Will Take Responsibility
From Presiding Officer and
Kill Many Members.
By j. wELLIvER.

yulars Of the House organiza-
s. an alliance with small num-
F- Democrats. yesterday rescued
IS from their tight place in
fight, and, adopting Demo
oposition for revision Of the
some unimpOrtant particulars,
le day. saved their faces, and
q themselves more firmly than
over.
the analysis given to the srtu-
a most remarkable statement
day by Asher Kinds, parlia-
expert for the Speaker, and
who knows more than any
about what the rules or any
/ them means. Here is the
by Mr.. Kinds:
nendment to the rules which
ny member of the minority to
ord vote on any proposition
s. judgment bad for the men,
bern the House. It will operate
So about the undoing Of many
= T, and VIII swell the large
crmy anne ducks Its effect will be
b teu..sry to keep the membership of
81. Hos constantly changing, to en-
EreIe1 Speaker in power, and to
sl-rr-n le Congressional lives of the
men oe-
Boon to Speaker.
''The changes in the rules erect a
bomb-proof armor for the Speaker.
From his standpoint, nothing better
could be desired. The tendency of the
feorganized rules viii be TO make a
perpetual Speaker and an ephemeraI
membership.
1.-The establishment of the unanimous
consent calendar is the greatest boon
that could come 10 the Speaker. It lifts
a great burden of responsibility from
his shoulders. It win relieve him Of
nine-tenths of the criticism which has
been directed against him. I firmly be-
lieve Mr.. Reed would have been Presi-
dent, but for the unpopular1ty which
his duty OF granting unanimous con-
sents imposed. 1t earned for him
enemies among all kinds of people, con-
tractors, material men, etc, who had
claims against the Government These
men were everywhere, and their ac-
cumulated aninosities, extending in 10
every district and State. made it I'M
possible for him to be nominated for
President"
Fight Was Simple.
The story Of the fight over the rules,
complicated as it looked from the gal
iery, is simple and easily told. The in
surgent-DemOcratic combination had
barely enough votes TO vote down the
old rules. Then the combination pro-
posed the Clark measure looking TO rule
revision, and failed TO adopt it, being
unable TO hold all its strength TO that
particular proposition. Probably II would
have been unable to do better on any
other proposition
Then came Fitzgerald, a New York
city Democrat, who. from the beginning
mad been looked upon as the reliance Of
the organization IN its last extremity.
Nobody seemed TO know just how he
was going 10 save the day for the old
organization, but for week before the
critical day he had been looked upon
as somehow the determining factor.
The machine expected its salvation
ehrough him If II could not win directly
And Fitzgerald saved II; saved IL as
completely as is suggested by the Kinds
statement quoted.
FitzgeTald's Part.
Mr.. Fitzgerald had urged the Demo-
cratic caucus to accept his proposals
for amendment Of the rules. but it had
declined 1t looked upon his proposals
as misleading and Intellectual: without
being at all understoOd-for understand
ing Of them wGs impossible in the short
time given for their presentation-tho
Fitzgerald propositions were looked up
on with Inisgivng and suspicion. The
insurgents and the Clark Democrats
joined forces In the effort 10 vote Fitz-
gerald down but the Democrats broke.
and the Fitzgerald plan suuDorted nv
the weakened Democrats who rad
been regarded for days as under the in
nuence OF the Cannon organization, with
Continued on Second PaEel