Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-17
SEE TROUBLE AHEAD|NOSTA|N0NL L0R|MER
Democrats Quandary Over Fully indicated of Charge Of
Selection of Committees. Brbing legislators
DIVISION OF THE HONORS SURE OF ELECTION, ANYWAY
Champ Acuecence Sug Senate Subcommittee United Be-
gested Plan Excites lief n Innocence.
ELDER MEMBERS MURMURING CLEAN HEALTH GIVEN
Cumbesome-Queston if Money
to Hands to
Democrats in Quandary Over
Selection of Committees.
DIVISION OF THE H0N0RS
Champ Clark's Acquiescence in Sug-
gested Plan Excites Comment.
ELDER MEMBERS MURMURNG
Committee on Committees Believed
to Be Cumbersome-Ques
Goes to Caucus.

Champ Clark's acquiescence in the plan
to have the committees of the next
House named by a committee on COM
mittees. instead of being appointed by
the Speaker. set the democrats gossiping
today over the advantages and the pos
sible disadvantages of the proposition.
They realize that the innovation promises
the greatest revolution in House pro-
cedure since Speaker Reed counted the
quorum.
The first consideration attracting their
attention was the fact that the new
membership of the next House is to
lave equal. if not preponderating, share
in making committee assignments. The
method OF providing for tine new deal is
to be determined by the democrats in
caucus January 49, To that meeting
will be invited the representatives-eect
of the next Congress. and the gathering
will include many ambitious though mex
perienced spirits, flushed with victory and
eager TO make a good start on their new
political career
Division of Honors
The elder democratic statesmen. who
have borne the heat and burden of the
day these many years, know that they
will have to divide the hOnors and share
tine responsibilities Of control with these
budding statesmen, who unquestionauly
Will see to it that in the groundwork of
the new dispensation they get their due
share of everything good that may be
going. Some rude shocks to the rights of
seniority. tenaciously asserted by the
elder statesmen. may be expected, they
say. from the ardent young fellows fresh
from the people.
No one has quite figured out a satisfac-
tory scheme for the creation of the all
important committee on committees. Its
membership Will be determined by vote
in caucus, no doubt, but the burning
question is likely to be whether member
ship on this appointing committee will
disqualify members for the high places
within the gift of the committee.
In other words, will the committee on
committees have the hardihood to parcel
out important chairmanships and assign
ments among its members? If no, will the
prominent and most efficient men desire
place on the mother committee, to their
possible exclusion from coveted assign
ments?
Passes Up the Honor.
II wouldn't give a rap for a place on
the committee on committees" said q
democrat today, IF that is to keep me
from going after the chairmanship that
1 IL
me to sit up there and parcel out all
the good things to the other fellows, and
after that was done have nothing else
to do for the rest of the Congress but
hug to my breast the empty honor of
being a member of the committee on
committees? And yet it would take a
lot of nerve for me to sit in the COM
mittee on committees and semand my
own appointment to the Craftsmanship
] desire"
lished suggestion that membership on the
onother committee should debar from
membership on other committees.
The converse Of that proposition"
continued this democrat. would be that
the committee on committees should be
composed of men incOnspicuOus by their
service and not ambitious of promotion.
and then the question arises how could
claims OF aspirants for assignments?'
Another Suggestion.
It has been suggested that the most
important chairmanships might be deter
mined by majority vote in the caucus
that will meet just prior to the assem-
bling of the next Congress for the Or
ganization of the House. By that plan
every man would have chance to run
II the appropriations craftsmanship, and
the one receiving the highest number of
H.
AIRY 10 is expected to specify the course
To be followed in this respect.
II all the important chairmanships are
to be provided for in this way, it was
suggested by some democrats today. the
democrats will have TO assemble some
time in advance of the regular session. if
the experience of making up the Ballin-
ger-Pinchot investigating committee last
session by this method is any criterion
OF the difficulties ahead.
The advocates the committee
committees idea are not daunted, how
ever, BY the prospective difficulties. They
have firm faith and confidence in the
wisdom OF the majority, and say that in
any event the Inconvenience and possible
embarrassments of the new plan are
more than offset by the advantages over
the present system.
Views of Woodrow Wilson.
one distinguished democrat however
of the present time is record as op-
posed to this method of selection Some
body around the Capitol dug up a book
published by Woodrow Wilson, demo-
cratic governor-elect of New Jersey, pub
lished several years ago. d chapter of
which deals with this very proposition
The book is entitled Congressional Gov
ernment."
Dr. Wilson recites the trial of the pres
cnt plan by the First Congress, which in
April, 1883, ordered the selection of the
more important committees by balloting
Less than one years application of the
plan sufticed to demonstrate its unde-
STABILITY, and in January. 1880. the House
adopted the rule for appointment of com
mittees by the Speaker, which has stood
until this day.
No House So Foolish.
No House, however foolish i'm other
respects. says DIR. Wilson i'm his book
has yet been foolish enough to make
fresh trial of electing its committees.
That mode may do well enough for the
cool and leisurely Senate. but it is not
for the hasty and turbulent House.
1t was suggested today that Chamn
Clark IS acquiescence in the new plan does
not put il into force. and that il will
be carefully thrashed out in the January
caucus and put TO a vote for adoption
or rejection.