The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-09-11
FIGHT ON RULES
MAY Be RESUMED
When House Meets Again in
Coming Winter
PLAN OF THE REGULARS
Capitol Employe Discusses President
Taft's Suggestion to Amend the
Tarif-Rules of Senate Pro-
eeedure In the Way
PLAN OF THE REGULARS
by RoDERICK CLIFFORD

| mas given rise to a report that when the
House meets in December for the windup
of the Sixty-first Congress, the fight on
the rules will be renewed.
1t is asserted by those who claim to
know thing or two that the regulars
who fought the insurgents on the rule
question will endeavor to frame up rec
ord vote, should the democrats win in the
November elections. When the fight on
the rules opened up in the House March
10, 1909 one of the main contentious of
the insurgents. in fact the chief eonten-
ton, one which was Endorsed by the
democrats, was to take from the speaker
the appointment of committees. This was
defeated, however, by % democrats vot-
ing with the regulars, thus leaving that
question to be settled later. The House
did, however, establish the precedent of
electing the rules committee by party
caucus, and it is believed that the next
House will adhere to the precedent.
The frame-up as it is called, that the
regulars have up their sleeves, and
which is expected to be sprung, is reso-
luton indorsing the proposition for the
appointment of a committee on commit
tees with full power of naming the COM
mittees of the House This committee
on committees Is to be selected by party
caucus and the names of the members
voted for in the House, as was done last
winter the rules committee was elected
Now II Is we'll known that many dem
ocrats in the House voted with the in
surgents last year in the fight on the
| rules, not because the democrats were
against the rules, but because 1t was pol
| itics to keep the insurgents and regu-
| lars as far apart as possible and thus add
fuel to the cry of "Cannonism." or
course one House cannot bind the action
of its successors, and the only effect of
a record vote on the proposed resolution
for the appointment of committee on
committees would be to embarrass the
members who fought at the beginning or
this Congress to take from the speaker
the right to name the committees of the
House. 1t is the committee appoint
ments that give the speaker much of his
power over legislation and add to the in
terest In speakership contest.
The present rules of the House worked
well last session, as the record made by
the House shows, and unless all signs
fail the democrats, if they are in the ma
jorty In the next Congress, will make
but few, if any changes, in the rules.
This statement is based what the
democrats did in the F'ifty-second Con-
gress The Reed rules, which were de-
nouneed as tyrannical and arbitrary by
the democrats in the Fifty-frst, or bill
the democrats without material amend
ment But II the republicans control the
next House, and the same proportion of
insurgents are returned, then 1t can be
accepted as a fact the next House will
take from the speaker all the powers now
possessed by that official
President Tafts suggestion in his let
tiers to Representative Mckinley of IL
linois. chairman of the republican con-
gressional committee. that the Payne
Aldrich tariff law may be amended in
certain particular schedules without open
ing up the entire tariff question sounds
good" said a veteran employe of the
capitol but when the President wrote
that he could not have given any thought
to the method of procedure in the House
and Senate 1t is easily possible for the
House to carry out the Presidents sug-
gestion, for In that body debate is linn
tied and the majority may at any time
adopt a special rule to limit amendment
to the subject under discussion.
IT recall the efforts made by the dem
ocrats in the House in the Fifty-second
Congress to amend the Mckinley tariff
act The Senate was controlled by the
republicans at that time The late Rep
resentative William M. Springer of ILL
nois was chairman of the ways and
means committee Some of the demo-
Gratis in that Congress wanted to open up
the entire tariff question by preparing a
complete bill, but Mr.. Springer did not
favor the proposition, saying that 1t
would be impossible to force the repub-
lican Senate to accept a democratic tariff
bill, however meritorious, but Mr.. Spring
err said the House could put 1t up to the
Senate by amending a number of the
schedules in the Mckinley tariff against
which the people had complained.
"Sprnger's suggestion was approved by
the democrats, In the House. and num-
Der of amendments to the Mckinley tariff
in the form of bills. termed at the time
Pop-gun tariff bills were passed by the
House, but were allowed to sleep In the
finance committee of the Senate.
Now, the House at the session which
convenes In December could without
much debate, under a special rule. carry
| out the Presidents suggestion on this
subject The rock on which the Presi-
dents recommendation is likely to split
would be the Senate rules. and the oppo-
sition to amend one or two schedules that
would come from such progressives as
Senators Dolliver and Cummins of Iowa,
Bristow of Kansas, LaFollette of Wiscon-
| sin and Beveridge of Indiana If the reg
| ulars and progressives in the Senate were
| unit on this matter the Payne Aldrich
tariff act could be amended in conformi-
ty with the Presidents desires at this ses-
sion. However, ! think the campaign
| news SO far received makes it clear to
| the people that the Senate is far from
being in harmony with the President In
the matter of amending the existing
| tariff law.
MANY people use the term legal tender
| without knowing what 1t MEANS" said a
prominent official of the treasury depart
| ment in discussing the currency ques-
ton with a party of friends. Continuing
| he said: There is no question that our
currency laws ought to be revised and
made more uniform. Now, as to the term
legal tender In my experience I have
met only a few bankers, senators and
members who could give an accurate
definition as to what constitutes legal
| tender. The transformation on the sub
iect is amazing. Legal tender is money
| of character which, by law, a debtor
NAV require his creditor to receive in
payment. in the absence of any agree
ment, or contract, or obligation itself.
| 1.-The following are legal tender moneys
as prescribed by law: Gold coin, stand
ard silver dollars, subsidiary silver coins
not exceeding $40, minor coins, including
pennies and nickles, not exceeding 81
cents. United States notes. except in pay
ments of duties on imports and interest
| on the public debt: demand treasury
notes oft1s6l and 1862, one and two years
notes of 1863 compound interest notes
which were issued many years ago
treasury notes Of 1890, Columbian halt
dollars in amounts of $40. and Columbian
quarters In amounts OF $lO.
at may surprise you to know that gold
certificates. which are as good as any
other class of government currency, arc
not legal tender, neither are silver GER
| tifcates. nor national bank notes, but
| they are receivable at par in all parts OF