The National tribune., 1910-02-10
THE INSURGENTS.
Who They Are and How Classi-
fied-What ti,e Different Ones
Want.

Want.
The great issue at Washington this
Winter has been insurgentism- And
Vet there are many evidences that the
people of the country have faint idea
of what insurgentism means. They
know it is reform movement within
the Republican Party, that the insur-
gents are progressives and are trying
to oust the old Congressional leaders.
They think, also, that it is essentially a
western movement and that at present
it spells friendship for eX-President
Roosevelt.
As a matter of fact these statements
only define in part the great move
ment, which, if it succeeds, may save
the Republican Party, but which also Is
threatening to throw the Government
over to Democratic control. AS far as
Congress is concerned, there is only
handful of these men, and at best not
more than half dozen who have dem
Onstrated any particular qualities OF
leadership. There are said to be seven
hard and fast insurgent Senators. They
are Cummins and Dolliver. of Iowa;
Nelson and CIapp, of Minnesota; La
Toilette, of Wisconsin; Bristow, of Kan
sas, and Beveridge, of Indiana. There
are no insurgent Senators east of the
Allegheny Mountains. But this does
not mean there are no insurgents among
the Eastern constituents. There are
half dozen insurgents and near-insur-
gents among the Representatives from
the East. 1t is strongly suspected by
many politicians that there is power
ful insurgent sentiment in conservative
New England. Senator Bristow, who
has been lecturing in Massachusetts,
this Winter, says 1t is strong there and
only awaits a leader The insurgents
in the House number less than 80 men
out of 391 members. And yet the in
surgent movement has already made
the country take notice, and is the
most troublesome factor with which
the Administration has to deal at the
present time
1t is impossible to say just when the
movement was started in Senate and
House. While it is related to the in
Burgent movement in many Western
States, ii Is rather distinct and pertains
to different issues. It probably began
in the House with opposition in the
Spring of 1908 to efforts of the Appro-
priation Committee to defeat an item
of s35G,000 that President Roosevelt
wanted to pay interstate commerce ac-
countants to examine the books of rail-
road companies. The President pitched
battle on that issue, and won by
ers. Prior to that time several of his
progressive bills had been bottled up
in committee. The victory enabled him
TO get some of those bills out and to
carry thru quite a legislative program
at that session.
Some might say that President
Roosevelt started the insurgent move
nlent, but wherever and whenever it
started it is identified with the first
session of the 60th or last Congress,
and during the last two years it has
steadily gained momentum at the south
end OF the Capitol
La Toilette was the pioneer insur-
gent in the Senate. He came there
over four years ago with a National
reputation as a Republican dissenter.
Forthwith he advanced ideas about
railroad regulation and other corpora
tton reforms which most of his Repub-
lican colleagues frowned upon. He
more than any other, unless il be Sem
ator A B. Cummins, of Iowa, had been
preaching reform ideas and creating
the powerful sentiment back in the
states which has stood all insurgents
in such good stead. Cummins was one
of the greatest accessions to La Fol-
1ette's standard in the Senate, altho he
has not always fought side by side
with him. Dolliver of Iowa, and Mel
son and Clapp. of Minnesota. all older
Senators in point Of service, Joined him
eventually because of the exigencies OF
The political situation at home, where
the fnsurgent sentiment, fostered by
la Toilette, was rampant. Bristow, OF
Kansas, came into the Senate a year
ago Beveridge Joined the ranks last
Summer, when the tariff fight was on
These seven are all the Senate insur-
gents, with the possible exception OF
Brown, of Nebraska, altho two or three
m 40 hnf
suspicion.
Different Brands.
There are two or three different
brands of insurgents. One is some.
times called tariff insurgents, anothe,
rules insurgents; still others are insur
gents on such matters as corporation
legislation and conservation. In q gen.
cral way they conceive themselves tC
be more in accord with the Roosevelt
IDEAS in those particulars than are fht
regulars. However, practically all tn,
Insurgents, whether in the Senate O,
the House, are for reform in The
rules. IL the House they want thu
rules liberaliZed so that the Speaker
shall have less autocratic power Some
OF them would go so far as to have thu
committees of the House elected rather
1han appointed by the Speaker Mos
al them would change the organiza
on Of the all-powerful Committee OF
1sules, Of which the Speaker is Chair
nan ex oficio. In the Senate they
want-a change in the method of ap
pointing committees, and would eIimi
] ate Senator Hale, who is the senio,
Senator in service. and Senator Aldricf
from the doIa natiCn OF the Republican
caucus, and OF the Committee on Com.
mites, which Senator Hale, as Chair
man of the caucus. now appoints every
two years at the beginning of the Con-
Gress. They claim the Western Sena-
TORS, generally juniors in service. get