The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-20
GEORGE B. NORRIS.

George r. Norris. the insurgent who
has led the fight against Cannon. has
come out Of the row a pretty big man in
TIE House and with good chance OF sue
ceeding Elmer J. Burkett as Senator from
that State Mr.. Norris issued this state
ment:
THE change in the rules Of the House
! Is In the interest OF representative gov
eminent. II takes dletatorial power from
the Speaker and places at the command
OF the House opportunity TO have brought
| forth from committees for consideration
/ Legislative matters in which any repre-
sentative number Of members Of the
House are interested.
AN enlarged committee necessarily
means broader appreciation OF the true
sentiment OF the country and of all It's
sections. Ten men from ten sections OF
the country have more perfect apprecia-
ton Of the desires OF the country in legis-
Iatlve matters than one man from one
section,
Speaker Dominated.
mark you. have held that the
Speaker, as chairman OF the, Committee
on Rules. dominated that committee. The
! Speaker. as a member OF the House,
represents a single district no larger than
my district. often not so large a terri
tory or so diversified IN interest as many
other districts represented. Therefore.
his view Of legislation needs is likely 10
be restricted.
But because ne Is Speaker he DOM
mates to the disadvantage OF the entire
! House membership and the injury OF the
country, This needed correction.
MY fight was not against Cannon. It
was against Cannon's control Of the
| Committee on Rules and the injustices
| likely to flow therefrom. With the as
slstance Of others who believed with me
that the power of the Speaker should be
curbed and restricted and through Dem
ocratic aid. we have won. I am making
no warfare on the Republican party. I
am a Republican, working for party sue
cess. I believe what we Republicans
have done to-day will make for party
success.
Through for Present.
There may be other changes made
IN the rules, but I do not anticipate
they will come at this session. I am
through my fight for the present The
Speaker should not name committees
or COMMITTEES chairmen. The majority
party in control should name them.
But the committees OF the present Con-
gress have been named. They will not
be changed. That night may come be-
fore another Congress.
Y presume tho personnel Of the new
Committee on Rules viii be selected in
party caucuses.
"The six Republicans VIII be named
by the Republican caucus; the four
/ Democrats by the Democratic caucus.
know of no disposition among the
insurgents TO force representation on
the Republican personnel of the new
committee II may be that the organi-
cation Republicans will give IL. They
should do so for party harmony. The
selections of the respective eaucuses
are TO be ratified by the House. This
is a check on the action of the eau
cuses
1.-The. Chief Executive viii have no
additional difficulty under our plan in
getting his policies before the House.
Formerly he saw the Speaker or other
members of the Committee on Rules.
Hereafter he viii see the chairman
of the new Committee on Rules. elected
by the copmittee or the entire majority
party membership of the committee. II
is Just as easy. and the President runs a
lbetter chance Of srousing interest in
the Communicable will have more men,
representing a larger section Of the
country, with whom to deal.
Judge Madison, another insurgent
leader. said he was willing to enter a
Republican caucus TO name the majority
members of the new Committee on Rules.
He would abide by the decision OF the
caucus. Cooper. Murdoch. Poindexter.
and others denied that they had made
recognition by appointment on the COM
mittee an issue in their fight for an
,enlarged Committee on Rifles and the
elimination of the Speaker as a member
OF that committee.