The Holly chieftain., 1910-02-18
REFUSE TO Be
BOUND BY CAUCUS
INDEPENDENT REPUBLICANS RE.
MAIN FIRM IN THE STAND
THEY HAVE TAKEN.
REGRET ACTION OF PRESIDENT
Chief Executive is unwise in Attempt
Ing to Force Members Of His
Party to Give Support to Un-
worthy Legislation.

worthy Legislation.
| Washington.-Notwith the
frequent declarations of the Independ
ent Republicans that they will not par
| Of considering and agreeing upon a
legislative program. the president ap
| pears determined to force an issue
upon this question. The Independent
Republicans sincerely regret this at.
titude upon the part of the president.
but II the organization takes this
method Of forcing Republicans to
swallow ship subsidy and the kind OF
postal savings bank bill which will
be acceptable to Speaker Cannon and
his friends, the Independents will not
go along. even If the outcome be an
open rupture with the president
The device of the president to have
Republican caucus to force through
the ship subsidy bill, the postal saw
ings bank bill and to consider amend
ments to the house rules, was com.
municated to Whip Dwight, who
brought the word to Capitol hill. 1t
was confirmed by Representative
Hayes, who is believed by the pres
ident to be representative Progress
siye, but who in fact, is only an in.
surgent upon the question of the rules
and Speaker Cannon, but is not in
sympathy with some of the funda-
mental planks in the Progressive pro-
gram.
This word was brought after the
Independent Republicans had declared
in meeting that they would not en-
ter caucus to outline action for the
reformation of the rules unless as a
condition precedent to such a caucus
It was understood that the speaker
would retire from the committee on
rules. The president sent word he
was ready to assist in securing action
upon the rules. His messenger said
the question of his getting of the com.
mittee on rules had been broached
to Speaker Cannon, and Uncle Joe"
said If he had to leave the commit.
tee on rules, he would resign as
speaker.
Sham Reform Not Wanted.
The Independents then sent word
to the president that 1t was useless
to waste the time of this session IN
fight to reform the rules which
could not accomplish a real reform.
They saw nothing to be gained and
made IT plain that much might be lost
by adopting a seeming reform which
did not go to the heart of the rules
problem by striking down the power
of the speaker Rather than engage
in such business, they preferred to
wait more propitious time. They
sent word to the president that they
stood ready to aid in the enactment
Of legislation promised the people.
They did not mean by this declara-
ton they were willing to accept any
legislation that might be offered, but
that they would cooperate to secure
the passage of bills to carry into eff
feet the party promises.
The reply of the president to this
was made when three days later Whip
Dwight was told at the White House
to work for caucus upon the ques-
tion Of the rules, to unite the Repub.
licans for ship subsidy and postal
savings banks, other legislative mat.
ters to be taken up later.
The Independent Republicans will
not go into caucus upon the ship sub
sidy bill or upon the postal savings
bank measure. A few who are Insur.
gents upon the question of the rules,
but are not in step with the Progress
sive legislative program may go into
such caucus, but the real Progressives
will maintain their independence and
will not permit party caucus to bind
them to legislative program, part
of which may be good, part of 1t who'll
ly bad, and part of 1t having SO much
of evil mixed with the good which it
may contain as to make conscientious
men hesitate to accept 1t under any
circumstances and certainly not until
they shall have exhausted every
means within their power to better 1t.
illustration in Point.
A good Illustration of what the eau.
Gus method of considering legislation
may do is found In the way in which
the Humphrey ship subsidy bill was
railroaded through the committee on
merchant marine of the house. To
a complete understanding 1t is neces.
sary to have in mind that this com.
mittee was arranged by Speaker Can.
non with view to pulling through it
ship subsidy bill. For weeks in
terests opposed to the granting of a