East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-08-08

written on the sad observation this
year of the star of the Honorable John
Dalzell of Pennsylvania.
Time was when Dalzell figured in
sor of the House. or as the author of
some new gag rule, or other ''iniquity."
! When Uncle Joe Cannon ruled the
Committee on Rules-back in the days
before Norris touched off his eXplos-
ion and blew that body in kingdom
comet was Dalzell who, as senior
member always arose in the House
to announce the deliberations of the
committee. 1t was Dalzell who intro
/ duced the gag rules; it was Dalzen
who led the parliamentary skirmish
over their adoption: it was Dalzell
who urged the stand-pat boys to rally
around the standard, and it was Dali
/ zell who flung defiance in the face
/ of the insurgents.
Back in the days when insurgency
was merely sort of innocuous blue
bottle fly. and before the bug grew
into an angry wasp with a sting, John
Dalzell it was who arose. amid the
stiffness of anticipation, and announc-
ed:
Mr.. Speaker. l am directed by the
committee on rules to report the fol-
lowing order
And Uncle Joe. just as II he hadn't
o KID that very order some minutes
or hours previously, would ponderous-
ly repeat that sentence. And the
''order" would turn out to be a special
rule, limiting debate. or limiting am
endments of some pet measure.
; Ralzell used to be a conspicuous
headliner in those days. He is now
classed as one of the Big Four in the
House machine,-the other three be-
ing the Speaker, Representative Payne,
of New York, and Representative
Tawney of Minnesota. He used to
figure largely in the floor proceed
ings.
But now, alas. since the Insurgents
swept away that five membered COM
mittee on rules. and substituted a
fifteen member one, Dalzell isn't as
important as he used to be. He
doesn't bulk as large in the proceed
Jugs of the House. He is about the
only silent partner of that Big -Four
partnership.
"Uncle joe as peaker, figures
largely in the Record; Representative
Payne as floor leader for the repub-
licans, and chairman of the big Ways
and Means Committee always breaks
into print at least once a day-if not
any other way, certainly he moves
that the house adjourn; while Repre-
| -,
Appropriations Committee, in charge
or the big appropriation bills spreads
a lot of talk over the fair white pages
of the Record.
So John doesn't figure largely in
THE proceedings nowadays. In addi-
ton, he isn't an impressive figure. He
is short-very short. He is spare. He
dresses quietly-usually in grey-and
always wears a red carnation in his
button-hole. just like Uncle Joe and
Representative Payne. He is quick
and nervous in his movements and
has sharp gray eyes with a peculiar
piercing quality. His hair and nous
tache are iron-gray. The most char
acteristic thing about Dalzell, how
ever, is his trick of speaking and
walking with his head tilted over q
wee bit to his right. He gives the
impression of always actually listen
ing for something. He isn't an elo-
quent speaker but has directness
about his utterance that makes him
clear.
Dalzell is a first-class parliamen-
tartan. In the old days he had to
for it was upon him that all the
"ag'in the rules insurgers" centered
their protests against gag rules. He
had to defend the rules reported from
his committee and had TO hear the
loud cries of the unwilling victims a:
he twisted the gag.
At any rate, John used to break in
to print lot, and he was one of those
members whom the Capitol guides al.
ways pointed out. and on whom visit.
ors' gazed with awe, despite his shor-
: stature
To crown all of Johns misfortune;
he had a tremendous fight of II tc
secure a denomination in the stalwart
stand-pat, protection, dyed-in-the-woo
republican district which he has beer
representing for the past twenty-foul
years. He won out. but he had &
battle royal.
Dalzell was game, as always. Wher
he fights. he fights hard. Member:
in the House have learned that his