The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-04-01
MORE REFORM IS
WANTED
INSURGENTS SAID TO coNTEM-
PLATE POSSIBILITY OF
ENGLISH PLAN.
Deposition of Cannon, Election of
Kinds, Non-Member, Is Suggested
Poindexter Says Trouble Is Caused
by Combining Office Of Speaker With
Party Leadership.

Washington, March 28-Many of the
insurgent Republicans of the house
who last Saturday voted to retain
| Speaker Cannon in the chair are
hearing from home," according to re-
| ports in circulation about the capitol.
These advices are said 20 be not at all
reassuring.
Following closely upon this informa-
ton come statements from sew
eral that war against "Cannonism' is
to 20 on to the extent of ultimately
causing the dethronement of Speaker
| Cannon, the election of his successor
and the complete reformation of the
rules of the house. The overthrow of
the speaker and the taking away from
the speakership of all power to influ-
ence legislation unduly are aimed at.
Some of the insurgents discussed
these subjects freely Saturday.
Some Would Elect Kinds.
A proposal to remove Speaker Can
non by means of the combined vote of
Democrats and Insurgents and substi-
tute in his place Asher G. Kinds, is
one of the plans which several insur-
gents advocated Saturday. The idea
of placing in the speakers chair pure
parliamentarian, not member of the
house, who would be entirely uninf1u-
enced by considerations of partisan adj
vantage, was pointed out by Repre-
sentative Poindexter of Washington
and others as the logical and proper
course. Under the constitution the
house may choose a speaker who is not
member of the body.
| Representative Poindexter, who is
one of the prominent members of the
insurgent body, said:
"This initial reform which we have
accomplished must be followed by 9TH
ers. The whole trouble in which the
house finds itself is caused by the join
ing of the power of the speaker with
that of leader of the majority.
English Precedent Found.
"The English plan of having an exa
pert parliamentarian instead of poll
tician as presiding officer is the only
correct one. AS long as We select a
party leader as speaker, just so long
will be have partisan and unfair rul-
ings.
when the house adopted the Nor
ris resolution the other day it was a
vote of no confidence in Speaker Can
non, and he should have resigned. AS
he did not do SO, we should depose
him. With that accomplishment,
think we should elect Mr.. Kinds. / be-
lieve a majority of the house would
vote for it, the Democrats and the in
surgents who voted against Cannon
last Saturday, and l believe large
number of other insurgents and So
called near insurgents, will vote for it
when the temper of the people is &C
curately judged on this question"
Reform Only Beginning.
Representative Murdoch, of Kans as,
another insurgent leader, said:
"The movement to reform the proce-
dure of the house has just begun. Be-
fore this session adjourns we will have
accomplished great many things.
hear radicals on this side who never
before were willing to admit that the
rules or anything else needed chang
ing now discus sing ways and means
of revising the rules and making them
better.
mot in SO years have such liberal
ideas entered the government OF this
house. I expect to see, in a compare
lively short time, the standing COM
mittee of this house meeting in open
session instead of secret ses sions, as
now. Of course, the military and naval
and perhaps other committees, would
have to meet in secret occasionally, as
a matter of public policy. But secret
ways of doing business here are on the
wane and soon will be over. Many in
teresting and perhaps startling devel-
opments will result before this house
adjourns sine die"
| Other insurgents expressed them
selves along similar lines. 1t is GER
tain that a number of insurgent lead
ers have in mind at least two things
| for this session:
First, the deposition of Speaker Can
non, unless he voluntarily retires; Sec
ond, the establishment of committee
on committees. All of the insurgents
expressed thems elves as desiring to
see the presidents legislation out of
the way before hostilities broke out
again.
One insurgent who would not allow
the use of his name, said:
Unless Speaker Cannon resigns we
will depose him before this session
ends. He is a part of this system and
must go. If it does not happen be-
fore, I look for it to come about the
last day of the session"
The proposal to elect Asher C.
Kinds as speaker elected much COM
ment from those who were made aware
of it.
Mr.. Kinds is Republican and is a