The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-30

those Republican members who hat
something to do witt bringing abou
the Inauguration of calendar Wednes
day. Everyone now admits that thi:
is one of the greatest steps in advance
| in the revision of the. rules of the
house that has yet been accomplished
Now bill once on the calendar i:
sure to reach a hearing in the house
unless the entire calendar day is for
mally set aside by a two-thirds vote
of the house
and then another change secured
in the rules of the house has been the
right to move to recommit a bill to a
committee with instructions to that
committee.
Progressive Versus Insurgent.
ut is a very remarkable thing that
every one of these real. true reforms
in the rules of the house has been ac-
complished entirely by the efforts of
sive Republicans of the house; and
more remarkable still is the fact that
nearly every one of the insurgents vot-
ed against these reforms.
Practically the only additional
change in the house rules now advo-
Gated by the insurgents and there is
difference of opinion even among them
as to its ACCESSIBILITY is the appoint
ment of the committees by commit
tee on committees, a scheme which m
my opinion is absolutely impractical
and which has not vet received the ap-
prevail of most men who have had long
experience in legislative bodies. In
fact this scheme of the appointment of
the house committees by a committee
on committees is nothing less than the
system which now prevails in the sem
ate and through which Mr.. Aldrich
Mr.. Hale and other leading senators in
that body have been enabled to prac-
tically control the appointment of COM
mittees in the senate.
I'm my opinion by the time of the
organization of the next house the in
surgents themselves will have time to
think soberly of this proposition and
mighty few of them at that time will
advocate the adoption of such a ridicu-
lous scheme in a legislative body COM
posed of such diverse political senti-
ment as is the house of representatives.
/ believe that in the next house the line
of demarkation between Republicans
and Democrats will be much sharper
drawn than in the present house; the
present Republican insurgents will, as
the newly elected Congressman Foss of
Massachusetts predicts, either ally
themselves openly with the Democratic
party or they will come back into the
Republican fold and vote on party
questions in accordance with the ma
jority sentiment of their party. Most
of the progressive Republicans of the
house stand ready today to consider
and to vote for any further reasonable
reforms in the rules of the house Of
if the need develops,
but not to countenance for a second
the turning over to the minority of the
power to enact legislation now pos
sessed by the majority.
I'VE likewise shall at the first oppor-
tunity vote for a further reduction or
of some of the tariff
schedules. but most of those loyal to
their party believe that these reforms
should be brought about within the or
ganization of the Republican party us
a result of a thorough 1nvestlgatlon
and resultant recommendation by Pres
ident Taft and his tariff commission
and not through any traitorous combi-
nation or alliance with the Democratic
Dart,y"