The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-02-16
PARTY GETTING
OUT Of HAND
Republican Whips Can Not Keep
the Members Under Any
Sort of Discipline.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT IS PAU
Majority Men Are Fighting Each
Other and Democracy Smiles
in Approval.
By Ernest G. Walker.
(Mail Special to The Advertiser.)

WASHINGTON. February - Sixty
whips could not keep the Republicans
of this house in their seats moaned
Representative John Dwight, of New
York today. He is the chief Republi
can whip, but knows that he has fallen
upon evil days. There is great democrat
izaton of the Republican majority. 1t
is nowhe better evidenced than in the
efforts to maintain a party majority
while bills are under consideration.
At the outside there are between
twenty-fi five and thirty house insurgents.
Hardly man of them is giving any at
tention to legislation or to the daily
proceedings OF the house. As each day
rolls around they are more intent upon
parleying with one another. They want
to know the latest developments and to
formulate plans. \ big coterie Of these
insurgents take up their station in the
easy chairs Of the spacious rear lobby.
There is a coterie Of regulars quite
as intent upon fractional politics. They,
too. are running all around the south
end OF he Capitol, taking one another
into da,k corners, and talking over the
latest insurgent developments.
Pine for Democrats
This makes prime opportunities for
the Democratic minority. Somehow or
other the Democrats are ''on the job, -
and while the appropriation bills are
,l.lotaI fbai. ph1nHaS More
than once recently they have been sutfi-
GENTLY numerous, in view of the de
pIeted Republican side. to vote in pro-
visions for their own Benefit. y few
days ago they got into the agricultural
bill a nice sum for the determination
of the boil weevil The Republicans
were opposed to it as wasteful eXpendi-
ture of the public moneys.
Almost every afternoon, when voting
is in progress. "Whip' Dwight. man
of towering figure, takes up his place
at one of the main exists of the house.
He has deputies at the other exits.
They plead and protest with Repub-
lican members to stay in the hall, often
to little purpose. The members, thus
headed off, return to their seats sullen-
ly, tarry little, and then make dash
for liberty.
Republican Disgust.
Two new features OF the ruIes-the
Calendar Wednesday and the unanimous
consent day-have contributed to the
Republican disgust with things in gen
eral These reforms were intended to
strip the Speaker of power. 1t Is
rapidly becoming question whether
the operation Of those rules has not re-
duced the house to q more helpless con
dition.
The unanimous consents particularly
enforce such a conclusion. Every SEES
sion hundreds of bills. Of a minor char
acter. requiring the government 5 con
sent to some transaction, are reported
out of committees. If they are ap
proved by the secretary of the depart
ment under whose jurisdiction sucl
matters come aud have a unanimous re
port from committee, they have beer
enacted by what is known as unani
NOUS consent. In recent years half OF
Speakers time has been devoted to ex
aiming these bills and determining
whether he would recognize members /
call them up and ask unanimous con
sent for their passage.
Speakers Approval No Go.
Great numbers Of such bills have beer
passed under that practise, but the a
sent Of The Speaker was first required
II was that which many members erie
out against vigorously. Three or fou
of the bills were disposed OF daily jus
after the reading Of the journal an
sometimes a. many more Just before th
house adjourned. Members knew tina