Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-04-14

than the transaction OF an equal
amount OF business would nave there
II carried on by the banks or the Dusi'
ness houses" $500.
In speaking of the manner In when
the house members were chosen, Mr..
Fowler said:
Criticism Of Present Methods.
THE one essential qualification that
seemed to be a sine qua o was that
a man was completely ignorant OF the
whole matter.
Nor could the commission rely
upon the speaker of the house for In
formation, for, referring to this SUD
ject, he said to me:
81 do not want to discuss a thing
that ! don't know a d-n thing bout
Nor could they look to the chair.
man of the national monetary com-
mission, who, If the New York papers
quoted him correctly, stated on his
return from Europe that while he
thought a year and n half ago that he
knew all about the subject, he had
| found out that he did not know any
thing about H..
This confession by MIR. Aldrich of
absolute and abject ignorance was re-
inforced by the fact that, according to
the newspaper, he stated In Kansas
City, when he was swinging around
the circle, that he agreed with the
foreign bankers when they said our
banking practices were barbaric.'
"Mr. Aldrich has been in congress
30 years. Has he during all that time
suggested one single thing to change
these barbaric practices? Has he not
stood at the door of the senate with
the b%ludgeon Of power in his hands
ready to paralyze every proposal to
lift this curtain OF Egyptian darkness
and barbarism?
"Where was he when the great fight
for the gold standard was being
waged? Did he open his mouth then
ever once In behalf of this important
reform? II so, when and where?
Let the American people inquire
and ascertain, If they possibly can.
why absolute ignorance of the sub
jcct was a sine qua non to an appoint
ment upon the monetary commission"
Discuss Power OF Speaker.
Agitation Of the question Of limit
ing the power of the speaker still con
tinucs to hold a foremost place In the
councils of members of congress-, al
though there Is no movement at pres
cnt to bring the subject Immediately
onto the floor of the house.
Judge Miles Poindexter's proposition
to make Asher Kinds the speaker has
caused n great amount of discussion,
not only among members of congress
but In the press of the country. AS a
general rule those who have lined up
with the Big Business interests of the
country take the view that the house
will never divest the speaker COM
pletely of his power and make OF that
officer a mere monitor over its proceed
ings. The Progressives throughout the
country, or the other hand, are almost
a unit in the belief that it is but a
question of a short time, some say a
few months, and many contend before
the end OF this session, when the
house will take the step which will
completely divest the speaker OF his
power over legislation.
Real Meaning Of Cannonism.
The Progressive Republicans are
convinced that the time has arrived
when there has been enough OF abb
stract discussion and that the people
must understand what CannOism really
means. Cannonism Is not a personal
ity. II is not power conferred In a par
ticular man. It Is a machine that
packs committees in the interest OF
Big business, which furnishes the cam
paign funds to perpetuate the machine,
It is not partisan. II the Democratic
party came into control 1t would ex
list just as 1t now exists, provided nc
change were made in the present sys
, TEN of conducting the business Of the
house. Cannonism Is a growth. The
T statement has been frequently made
, that the speaker has always been
[ member of the committee on rules
The first speaker to be made a mem
Der of the committee on rules was 6
great parliamentarian. He was James
) l.. Orr. He was made n member of the
committee on rules because at thai
time, the late %fifties. the function o.
this committee was merely to repor'
at the beginning of the session Of con
o grcss a set of rules to govern the de
alterations of the house during tina
session and 1t was felt that 1t would
be a great advantage to have the ad
@ vice of SO thoroughly equipped a par
f Humanitarian as Mr.. Orr.