The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-29
Special to the Farmer ]

tSDeCiai 10 the farner-b
 Washington. Nov 2s.-when Joseph c. Cannon resumes business as Speak CT of the House of Representatives on December 6. it will not be with quak- ing fears for the safety of his dictator ship. as those who have been reading the threats of the insurgents might expect
 Quite on the other hand. Uncle Joer win. in all probability. call the House to order with a greater secret confi- dence 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 sin gle moment that insurgency is a thing to be taken seriously: and partly be- cause he knows full well that he has a firmer grip on the law-making ma chinery 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- abfed him to hold back and crush leg islEtion sought by the people. and has strengthened every weak spot in the all-powerful legislative machine which defies majorities in the House and lis tens attentively to but one voice-that of the special interests.
 
 trouble to pack every important committee of the House By this Is meant that in appointing members Of committees he has placed a majority thinks as he does on legislation that must of necessity come before a par ticusar committee. or else the Speaker has appointed men that he knows will. beyond the shadow of a doubt. do his bidding. The power to appoint commit rae vrh har ci rxffh he mittee on rules. makes the Speaker the master and not the servant of the House Under the rules all the com mittees are appointed by the Speaker All measures introduced in the House are referred to committees. No meas ure can be considered unless reported by committee, except by unanimous consent
 For instance. bilIsN relating to a cen tral government bank. which Senator Aldrich intends to eventually force upon the country. must of necessity be referred to the committee on Banking and Currency.
 Tn appointing the nineteen members of the committee on Banking and Cur rency. the Speaker saw to it that more than half were men loyal to the Can n-Aldrich-Taft triumvirate.
 The former chairman of this import ant eommittee was Chas- N. Fowler of New Jersey Fowler showed a dis position to be conscientious and inde- pendent in the consideration of legis- lation that came before his committee. And he was deadly antagonistic to a central government bank Fowler was kicked out. and Aldrich's man, Vree- land, made chairman.
 The committee on Banking and Cur rency is not only packed in favor of any currency legislation Senator AL ommend. but against any banking leg islation that Aldrich may object to. Aldrich represents the big Wall Street bankers and thus the short cut from Rockefeller, Morgan, ct all, to the House committee on Banking and Cur rency, is only too apparent.
 The committee on Post Offices and Post Roads is likewise packed against postal savings banks Although every other great nation adopted postal banks years ago. the speaker still con- siders them in the vicious legislation class. Uncle Joe" conscientiously be- iieves that as speaker 1t is incumbent upon him individually to decide what | legislation should be allowed to pass, and what should be killed Convinced that a certain bill should die at some point en route Congress. the speaker does not feel justified in giving the Eothe- 391 members of the House even a chance to vote. because they might be sufficiently indiscreet to pass the bin.
 In the case of postal banks. it has long been contcnded by friends of the project that the lower house would Tass a postal bank bill with little cer- emoay if the measure should be allowed to come uo fo-- a vote.
 When it is considered that Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania. who has demonstrated his faithfulness to the special interests as often as opportun- itfes have offered. Is chairman of the committee on pest offices and post roads in the senate. 1t becomes evident that postal bank legislation. SO far as the approaching session of Congress is concerned is doomed before Congress is even convened
 With great carefulness Uncle Joe has gone over every important com mittee. taking friend of progressive Iegislatlon off of this or that commit tee, and filling his place with a friend of the Big Business
 Even if a committee should. con- trary to the speakers wishes. report a bill, he stin has control of the mat