The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-25
Old Heads in Senate Trick
Youngsters by Passing Res
luton providing for No Com
mittee Changes.
VETERANS ALSO
OUTFLANK THE REBELS
Outlaw Members Say They
viii Still Be Able to Take
Committee Appointing Pow
er From Speaker.
(6y Sheldon S. Ciine.)

Washington, Feb. 25.-Adroit flank
movements by republican leaders in
both the senate and house have put
a crimp" in the instructions which
threatened in those bodies. The SEN
ate has passed a resolution continu-
ing the present committee organiza-
ton until the first regular session OF
the 61st congress. which shuts off
any attempt at reorganization at the
converting of the extra session to be
called by President Taft. The house
leaders have agreed hat beginning
with the next regular session each
Tuesday shall be devoted to the con-
sideration of bills on the house calen-
dar and hat for this purpose there
shall be a call of the committees.
This concession satisfies one faction
of the house insurgents and, SO the
leaders claim, so weakens the insur-
gent strength that no effective fight
for further changes in the house rules
can be made.
Its Same Old Story.
It was the same old story of anna
teurs sitting in the game with veter-
ans. The men who have been in con-
gress the better part of a generation
know tricks of which the newcomers
never dreamed. 1t is true that Sena-
tor LaFollette had been tipped off
the senate leaders were prepar-
ing to hand him one" and that he
was on guard. But a senator cannot
in the chamber every minute
of the time. LaFollette went to the
room to meet a friend who
had sent in a card. During his alb
sence Senator Aldrich sprung the
resolution continuing the committees,
and it had passed before LaFollette
could get back. This will not prevent
and his insurgent follow
ers making their proposed fight for
reorganization next De-
but it will leave the present
after the tariff bill is passed, and that
is about all the senate leaders are
for at the present time.
Combine Against Speaker.
Opinion is not agreed as to how i'm
p~ortant a victory the house leaders
won by agreeing to a weekly calendar
day. The insurgents claim there will
be enough of them left to take away
from the speaker the power of ap-
pointing committees. This Is the crux
of the entire house revolt. If the
appointment of committees can be
from the hands of the speaker
and placed in the hands OF a repre-
sentative committee on committees,
the other things complained of will
soon right themselves. Should Col.
Pete Hepburn's suggestion be fol-
and the committees thus select
allowed to choose heir own chair
man every vestage OF the power nov
conferred in the hands of a few men
would disappear.
1t undoubtedly is true that Speaker
Cannon and his lieutenants have pick
ed off a goodly number of insurgents
by the ca1andar day concession. How
many they have picked off they prob
ably know better than n one else.
As a matter OF fact, Speaker Cannon,
Dalzell and others in the speakers
probably tell you more
about the numerical strength Of the
than the insurgent leaders
More than that, you may
be sure the speaker has every insur-
gent listed and classified, with vol |
luminous information about the re-
forms he demands and how much in
The way Of reform will satisfy him. /
they agreed to the calander
lay proposition they knew just how
many votes it would take away from
complete insurgent program. If
number isn't sufficient to assure |
for the house organization. It
S altogether likely some further con-
will be handed out to secure |
further number.