Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-28
HARMONY PREVAILS IN HOUSE
Both Republicans and Democrats Set.
tie Downe to Simple Life.
CANNoN's CASE A DUPLICATE
His Deposition Similar to that of
Speaker Reed Years Ago. sess
OTHER NEWS FROM WASHINGTON
Defunct FreedmRn's bureau May Pay
OFF DepOsitors--Thomns +. walsh,
Colorado MIne owner,
BRck on scene.
(From a staff correspondent)


(From a staff Correspondent)
WASHINGTON, March s7.-(speciaL)-
Apparently the selection OF the new com
mittee on rules which Is to control pro
cedure in the house OF representatives has
cleared the political atmosphere on both
sides OF the chamber The republican
cacus held Wednesday night last was some
what acrimonious at the outset and for a
time II appeared as though tho soreness
which was so manifest in the republican
ranks during the preceding week might
break out afresh and cause a great deal
of inflammation. But both the regulars
and the insurgents realized that any such
outbreak might result In disaster and in
the course OF the discussion a spirit OF
Cancellation was developed which finally
lead to harmony and the selection of six
republicans to serve on the committee ap-
parently was satisfactory TO both the fac
tfons
Thursday night when the democrats met
| in caucus to select the four minority mern-
| bers OF the committee, there were indca-
tions that the antasonism OF the minority
party toward Mr. Fitzgerald Of New York,
who was regarded as friend OF Cannon,
might produce an unpleasant contest with
the resultant defeat OF Mr.. Fitzgerald for
! a place on the committee.
But Champ Clark the minority leader,
was anxious for harmony and he plead
hard and long with his associates 10 bury
their bitterness and to uphold Fitzgerald,
who is regarded as one Of the ablest par
liamentarians on the democratic side. So
that the republican slate prepared py
Tawney on Wednesday and the democratic
slate prepared by CLARK on Thursday went
| through and there Is today a committee
on rules who will have absolute charge
c. the work of the house during the re-
ma;nder Of this congress without the inter-
ference OF the speaker,
Reeds Case Recalled.
Cannonlsm, by the way. Is not a new
Legislative disease Reed was denounced
when speaker OF tive honse just as eiser-
seticaIIy as Cannon mas been denounced
during last year. Reed controlled the COM
mittee on rules with an iron hand. but
even Reed does not appear to have been
the originator Of his methods of shaping
legislation. He took his cue from Lleu-
tenant Governor David B. Hill. who be-
/ lieved his eyes rather than bis ears when
called upon to decide in the New York
senate whether or not quorum was
present.
The Reed rules were. in turn. adopted
ceeded that over which he presided and
in which Mr. Crisp Of Georgia was the
speaker, and it was not a far cry from
Crisp to Henderson when the latter took
the gavel as a successor to the former
Tine whole trouble with Caunonism, So
called, is conditions have entirely changed
from what they were sixty years ago, when
the speaker was first made chairman OF
the committee governing legislative pro-
cedure. There must be a committee on
rules, there must be some means OF de-
Gliding whether a bill shall be considered
or not before It reaches the voting stage.
otherwise all sorts Of measures would be
brought forward and rushed through with
out adequate consideration. There Is
scarcely score of members in the entire
house who ever have taken time to con-
slider every measure upon winch they are
called upon to vote. Consequently the ma
jority is generally guided by the report
of the committee from which the bill Is
reported or by the attitude Of the COM
mittee on rules II it was necessary to
discuss and explain every provision OF
& every measure which is called up for
action in the house very little would be
accomplished and for this reason the COM
mittee first considers all bills and then
the committee on rules decides whether or
not the house shall have a chance to vote
upon them.
background Measures.
Naturally this method keeps in the back
ground many measures in which indl-
vidual members are deeply Interested.
; They lay their inability to secure the
legislation for which their constituents ask
) TO the committee on rules, which In the
past has meant to the door Of the speaker.
From this time forward after he shall
] have appointed the committees at the be-
, ginning OF a congress-and It is natural
} TO assume that the committee on rules
} will continue 70 exist without the speaker
that official will have little to do aside
from presiding over the house. OF course
he will be consulted, but he will nave no
vote. and all complaints which may be
made will have to be directed against
some other than the presiding officer OF
, the house 1t remains TO be seen what the
effect will be upon legislation and whether
or not those members who have advocated
ali sorts OF legislative vagaries viii be
any better off than they have been in the
, past.
Freedman's bureau May Pay.
After more than thirty years OF patient
! waiting 1t now appears as though the
depositors in that defunct concern known
as the Freedman's bureau may be paid
the money out OF which they were de-
frauded soon after the close OF the war.
The Friedman bureau was established
j soon after the close OF the war for the pur-
pose OF providing a depository for the
savings OF former slaves.
A 1t was believed at the time that the in
\ stitution was backed by the United States
= government and the ignorant depositors
regarded their funds when passed across
the counters OF the bureau as absolutely
a safe, but bad management and sxtrava-
1 giant methods wrecked the institution be-
r fore It had been in existence five years.
y About 60 per cent Of the deposits were
. paid back after long delay and for more
than twenty-five years efforts have been
made 70 prevau upou eonRress 10 IiouIdata