The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-04
REEDEsM AND cANNOHESM.

4 y
80 he told that the Democratic party ha'
at any time since the war Of secession
controlled the House of Representatives
and elected a Speaker. For sixteen
years. from lss0 To 1878. it did not, hui
I from that last year TO 1881 the Democracy
had Kerr and Randall in the Speaker
chair. In the Forty-seventh Congress
the Republicans had Mr.. Keller Of Ohio
but In the next two Congresses the Demo
crat. Mr.. Carlisle. was in the oiIics. Mr.
Reed, the Republican. Of Maine, followed
him for only one Congress, isso-si. SIR.
Crisp, the Democrat. was Speaker from
1884 to IsoS. when Bryan and Organism
befell. and ever since Democratic House
has been non-existent. Thus In six
teen out OF twenty years the Democrats
controlled the House and had the Speaker.
These statistics have a bearing on the
issue OF Cannonism which Is now 30 in
teresting.
The last date prior to 1856, period 81
twenty-seven years. when Democratic
President was inAugurated was in 1859.
Cleveland had two terms. isSS To IssS and
issS To 1897. when the capture of the Demo-
cratic national organization 10y Bryan put
No fTNrl0ttliA.
The Office Of Speaker Is an English in
heritance. In the British HOUSE Of Com
mons he has always been a nOn-part san
officer and an impartial moderator. but
in our country he has ever been by COM
mon consent a partisan. Why has there
been the difference?
For the first time in eight years the Re-
publlcans in 1859 came into control OF the
House 10y the very little ina jority OF seven
or even less and made MIR Reed Speaker.
Although they had practised filibustering
Of every kind they decided by new rules
Ia put an end 20 similar Democratic prac-
tices Democratic Speakers had been
intensely partisan and autocratic. BY
refusing 20 recognize a member seeking
60 make a motion hostile 10 the policy 81
the party in power they prevented leRis-
atiOn, Mr.. Reeds first term az Speaker
uSs0-0n solidifed the power 81 Repub-
loan politicians over the Industrial BUSH
ness % the country.
Cleveland's first term uss5-ss) encoun-
tered civil service reform. 20 which his
party did not take kindly IL ran afOul
Of a surplus which raised the tariff ques-
ton and Of the silver craze and Of
States long excluded therrfrom 4 very
narrow majority brought about by Demo-
cratic detection inaugurated Harrison
in Isss and gave the Republican poll
ticians both houses Of Congress Then
Speaker Reed invented the device Of OBJ
tanning a quorum by coun ting members
present who refused To answer
when called: and by new rule. recently
much discussed by insurgents. the
business Of the House came to be con-
trolled by "A committee dominated by Mr..
Reed. Who was described a. Gar Reed"
In that year and under the influence %
that -Reed,sm- now labelled -Cannonisn"
Montana. Washington and the two la
kotas were admitted az States. and IA the
next year Idaho and Wyoming. all prom
izing IN h. Republican. tn" Mex inley
tariff. the antitrust law and 'he Dependents
pensions law were -nacted -Reeiism.-
the new tarid increased prices. and the
other legislation 81 ISao. provoked in
surreCtion in the miidl. West Demo-
Gratis gained a majority even In Now Ing
land. The next Congress had .18 Demo
Gratis to ~ Republicans and Popuiizts
To complaints against a billion dollar
Congress Mr. Reed replied that W. had
"a billion dollar country Neither that
reply nor Mr.. Mckinleys plea that cheap
means cheap men aud cheap
men mean a cheap country could pre-
vent disaster for Republican politicians
In the November voting u iSoO.
-ReedisIn.- now -Cannoni-m.- became
a worldwide topic in IssD-si Mr. Bryce.
the present British Ambassador az Wash
ran R'risr. a. did Mr. Reed nd his critics.
Mr. Mck inley and MIR Iudge defended
In the same magazine the doing- q the
fifty-:ir-t Congress. hut quite In vain.
~, North tine -icdH R.ristr. Volume 1871
Cleveland was inIuguraied again a.
President in isos. bat th. injection ~ 81 !
Iuui- three wars afterward Il Bryan
serum into tho Democratic organization /
pat an end 60 the line uE Democratic
Presidents
Experts ara now differing regarding
he name Of the Presidential candidate for
1912 In whose interest the effort - made
n huniliat~ MIR Cannon ~ tho author
4 -Reedisn.- Il IL unlikely Co have hcen
n the interest oG Colonel Roosevelt. since
our years ago he wrote to Mr. Watson.
FEEL that all Tood cius~ns who have the weIfar.
Z Amcrtca ~ heart should appreciate the In.
lcn>e amount that has been a-rorn pli-hed by
n- present Congress organized a. IL II AMI the
rgeni neci ~ keeping this Org AniSAtion IN poWer
.Ith Mr.. cannon A. speaker the House has A..
literally phenomenal amount Of
ODD work
And yet since the Democratic nomina-
Ion Of Horace Greeley in 1872 We must
q prepared for every sort of political
seather. even a nomination % Roosevelt
n 1912 by Bryan convention.
II l. also difficult TO understand WHY
he politicians. Republicans or Demo
rats, who live away from Washington
hould he keen over Cannonism unIeas IL
- that members Of the HOUSE. asked to
.st freak legislation passed by committees
nd the House. reply that they are unable
y do 80 because Mr.. Cannon will not
olerate the silly schemes.
FORMER MEMBER oP CoNoKEss.
NV York. April ?. L
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