The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-16

| less majority to ride rough-shod over
the minority.
some of the ablest and fairest
members we have ever had in public
| life have contributed to this code OF
rules The custom has been to adopt
the rules from one congress 10 an
other, because they were considered
as practicable as any that could be
devised They are not partisan, and
never have BEEN. They are the laws
| of the house of representatives Tor the
government of that body. as much as
| the statutes are for the people Men
| desiring to secure results in legisla-
| ton have been able to accomplish
much. while men who were little IN
! terested in general legislation nave
either devoted their time to some pet
private measure and complained pc
cause they could not pass II, or they
have found the means of attracting at
tention to obstruction or EFFORTS TO re-
form the practice of parliamentary
proceedings in general
GAS rule, the majority of mem
bers study the rules to secure results
in legislation. There has always been
a minority who attacked the rules with
little study and as the easiest way TO
attract attention and make up Tor
their deficiency in general legislative
work AS a member of the house OF
Representatives for IS years, sometimes
on the majority side and sometimes on
the minority side of the house, have
found the rules sufficient to secure re-
suits I was a member of the com
mittee on rules in the fifty-frst con-
gress with Speaker Reed and William
Mckinley. We then had to modlry
the rule for a quorum to enable the
speaker to count members who Woulo
make motions and then refuse 10 re-
spond to their names when the roll
was called. That modification was
made in a constitutional way, reported
from the committee IN rules ami
adopted by majority of the mousse
That was simply to check an endless
ilibuster by the minority that boosted
1T would not permit the majority to DO
the business congress was elected TO
do. Reed was denounced as car,
and the hysterical cry went all over
the land. But the majority changed
and the Democrats came INTO con-
rules after one session of trying to get
along without them.
Season of Hysteria.
1--WE have had another season. OF
hysteria over the rules, Astounding IN
more ignorance than knowledge. A
small percentage of the political ma
jority went over the political minority
and created a hybrid majority TO
change the rules and create new
committee oil rules. In dong lhls
they admitted it was revolutlon-a
rather strange admission Tor ma
jority of a law making bcdy-to dety
the law created for its control While
making laws for the people to obey.
If mob spirit is invoked in making
law. it is difficult to draw the line
against mob spirit to resist laws MADE
by such a body.
But there have been changes IN
the rules, and those who united to
make these changes are not satisfied.
Mr. Murdoch recently made
speech in the house recounting what
the insurgents had Won He pointed
with pride to calendar "Wednesday.
But he not only voted against the rule
creating calendar Wednesday, but he
spoke against it, as Trojan horse,
brought into the house by the COM
mittee on rules; and he said he could
see cold feet sticking out of the belly
of that horse, referring to some mem
bers who had been associating with
him but who had acted with the ma
jority to secure that change.
MIR Murdoch also boosted that the
insurgents had reformed the rules to
secure a unanimous consent calendar,
so that members would not have to
go hat in hand to the speaker and
ask his consent as one member. He
forgot to say that the unanimous con-
sent calendar was created by the F1tz-
gerald rule, adopted the first day of
the sixty-first congress, and that Mr..
Murdoch not only voted against it,
but denounced it as a part of a con-
spiracy to prevent real reform. Mr..
Murdoch did not forget these things.
He simply hoped other people would
forget, and that he could justify his
cooperation with the political min
GRITTY of the house by claiming it had
accomplished things which he op-
posed and denounced. Now, 1 have
no fault to find with any of these
changes. I do find fault with the
methods of men who were elected as
d nd or
vices to the Democrats
Refers to Kansas Fight
Speaker Cannon referred to Presi-
dent Taft's compensation of the
Payne law. He cited the attack in
Iowa against members of congress who
favored the tariff.
my information is that in Kansas,
Senator Bristow, with allies. Governor
Stubs, Representative Murdoch and
others, is opposing the denomination
of Representatives Scott, Campbell,
Calderhead and Reeder for the reason
that these representatives voted for
the tariff bill and co-operated with the
Republican brethren in the house of
representatives.
This is a government by the peo-
sary, with a population of 90,000,000,
that those who substantially agree
touching economic and other policies
should cooperate, and they can only
cooperate through organization
During its whole history the Re-
publican party has stood for protec
ton to, American industries, to Ameri-
can labor, and to American capital for
the development of our resources. The
Democratic party has opposed the
policy or protection. They would
levy duties upon imports for revenue
only and not for protection. All Re
publicans and all Democrats do not
agree touching every detail covered by
their respective policies, but they do
substantially agree.
1.-THE differences existing between
members of the party in power must
necessarily be compromised or there
would be no legislation During the
consideration of the senate amend
ments to the Payne tariff bill Senators
Cummins, Bristow, La Toilette, Bever-
idge and Clapp voted substantially
with the Democrats. although Kansas,
/. - L. 1t. &c