Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-04-01
Wis. Friday, April /
FIGHTING FOR PRINCIPLE


Saturday, March 10, 1910, has been
made memorable by the contest which
ended that day in the national house
Of representatives in Washington.
For many months past some repubIi-
can members of the lower house of
congress have claimed that the rules
OF the house of representatives stood
in their way and until they could be
changed it would be- useless for them
to attempt to formulate any legisla-
ton that might be beneficial to the
country.
The insurgents declare that they
wers aatuated by high devotion to
principle and did not wage war on
Speaker Cannon as a man, but that
the rules give him too much power
and that if shorn of what they cnnsid-
efed unnecessary power the public
business would be expedited and each
representative would have an oppor-
tunity to be head.
representative George w. Norris
of the fifth district of Nebraska
offered resolution to amend the
rules by providing for a rules COM
mittee of ten, made I'D of six from
the majority and four from the min
ority party, said committee to be
selected by the house and that the
speaker should not be a member of
the committee.
After debate on this resolution
lasting some hours it was adopted by
a vote of 191 to 155. The adoption of
this resolution procured for the insur-
gent republicans all that they had
been working for during the past two
years.
Representative Burleston of Texas,
democrat. taking advantage Of the
republican quarrel, moved to declare
vacant the office of speakership.
Thirty four insurgents, who voted to
amend the rules by eliminating the
speaker from membership on the
rules committee and having said com
mirtee selected bv the house, voted
against deposing the speaker from
office and was retained in his position
AS speaker by a vote of 191 to 155.
Only nine insurgents out of forty
three were willing to turn the organi-
zatlon of the house of representatives
over to the democratic party, halt
the business for many weeks, and
jeopradize the legislation which the
republican party promised to give
the people at this session of congress.
and among these nine is john M. Mel
son of the second district of Wiscon-
SIN. When the other insurgents
secured the principle for which they
had commended they closed up the
ranks and stood shoulder to shoulder
to retain republican speaker. con-
troll of legislation and the house
machinery. If MIR. Nelson and the
other sight insurgents were not actu-
ated by desire for pei sonal revenge
upon the speaker and also on the hopes
of further embarrassing President Taft
IN bis efforts to secure needed pro-
gressive legislation, and having
secured all they asked for in the
amendment in the rules, why did they
Immediately afterward JUN with lac
democrats to destroy their party
organization in congress and endeavur
by their action to secure the election
of democratic speaker. which was
inevitable under the circumstances
had Speaker Cannon been depcsed
from Office?
The State Journal has been in favor
of any change in the procedure In
congress that would expedite the
public businss. 1t has been an ardent
advocate OF the measures recommended
by Roosevelt sud Taft. but it cannot
endorse the conduct of John NJ. Nelson
and the eight other insurgents who
would. to satisfy personal hatred and
reap fancied political advantages,
place the lower house of congress
under the control ut the defnocra tic
party and give to that organization
the power to delay ur defeat the pro-
gressive legislation for which Mr.
Taft has been laboring since his
Inauguration little more than one
year ago.-Madison State Journal.
Heretofore, The Leader has been
friendly to John Nelson and disposed
to aid him in becoming his own sue
l.