Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-01
"Small But Loud Minority"

Thomas 3. Reed once said, the Speak
or declared, that the noise made by a
small but loud minority in the wrong is
too often mistaken for the voice Of the
people and the voice of God. That re-
mark applies to the discussion Of the
rules.
The Speaker declared that the rules
were the DEVELOPMENT of 100 years; that
they were substantially as they had been
for generation; that campaign mace
against the rules twenty years ago
brought all the denunciatlon mace Win
in the last two years. and that Oh the
former occasion it was the loud MI
nority' trying to dictate legislation.
The democrats were in the minority
I'm the F1fty-first Congress" he said, but
they tried to dictate legislation. Speaker
Reed and the majority, who were re-
sponsible for legislation, refused to be
dictated to. Reed counted quorum OF
those who we're present for mischlef but
declared they were not present for busf-
ness That action of Reed was dano,Inc-
ed as "cxarism-'' The discussion became
international, but the Supreme Court sus-
tanned Reed, and SO did the democratic
party when it came into power. II adopt
ed what It had denounced as the Reed
rules.
Effort of Minority to Rule
"Why this fuss and fury? The old
cause the effort Of the minority to rule.
On the eve Of the last presidential cleo
ton the democratic leader sought to
dictate legislation. The majority would
not accept dictation. He began a fill
buster which continued to the end of
the session. frankly stating on the floor
that the minority would resist and en-
barrass in every way possible all legis-
lation unless certain measures demanded
oh ha hrnrr rryh fnry ri
History repeated itself. The demo-
cratic platform denounced the czarism of
the Speaker, just as the democratic plat
form did in 1890. The minority had de-
manded Hesitation for special interests not
for the general interest There are other
special interests demanding that the
Speaker use arbitrary power in their be-
half. When he refused to violate the
rules and traditions of the House he was
denounced as czar.''
In discussing the criticisms of Gen.
Grant during his administration as Presi-
dent, Speaker Cannon found a parallel in
the attacks on the present administration
and inferred that this administration
would overcome all attacks as triumph
antly as did Grant.
An Unwarranted Panic.
I'm his memoirs" the Speaker remi-
nesced. Grant tells of an incident in his
campaign in Texas. where one night the
camp was disturbed by an unearthly
| noise that had A panicky effect on the
soldiers and caused some uneasiness
among t1e officers. A squad was detailed
to ma reconnaissance. They
stealthily moved In the direction from
which the sounds came, and as the men
rounded the butte they discovered two
| coyotes on little hillocks engaged in a
serenade,
The noise made by the liberal and
| democratic press against Grnt was a
| fitting parallel To that episode i'm his
| early life. 1t did not frighten him nor
! the republican rank and file who march
| ed to the polls with the same deternina-
| ton they had four years before, and 800,
600 more of them dropped republican
ballots into the boxes.
Guest of Middlesex Club,
Speaker Cannon was the guest today of
the Middlesex Club. a republican dining
organization. Half q dozen OF the club s
officials breakfasted with the Speaker
| after which there was brief tour of the
city. Mr.. Cannon later met Gov Draper
several federal officials and a score O,
business men at luncheon at the Ex-
change Club