The Washington times., 1910-03-25
CANNON STILL CAR
OF HOUSE, SAYS HAY
Declares Committee on Com
mitteeS Only Way to Stop
Excessive Power.

That the recent action of the Hous,
In removing the Speaker from the Com
mittee on Rules does not deprive him o
ms Czar-like attributes. and that tn,
election by the House Of a committe,
on committees is absolutely necessary
In order to prevent the Speaker from
exercising excessive power. is the STAN
taken by Representative James Hay OF
Virginia.
Mr.. Hay said today that he would
make a fight TO insure such a commit
I tee in the next House il the Democrats
have majority as a result Of the COM
ing elections.
Much has been said by members and
in the press, said Mr.. Hay in discuss
ing the situation today, Ito the effect
that the system by which Cannon has
exercised such a dominating and con-
trolling influence over the legislation in
the House has been killed by the action
OF the House in depriving him OF his
membership on the Committee on Rules.
In reality, such is not the case. That
action was like cutting off the tip end
Of the tail of the snake, and it went iust
about that far in cUrtaiIing the Speak
er's powers.
Power Still There
You will notice that the new RepuoIi-
can membership Of the Committee on
Rules consists Of the Speakers closest
friends, WHO will carry out his wishes.
and he might as well be on the. com
mittee, so Tar as the aims and intent
Of the committee go. The Speaker
draws the great body of his power from
nrfKrf1nura ~
ard Charmen of the committe- Of th..
House. So long as he can do that he
can build up and preserve a perfect
working machine machine made up
OF men who are under personal obliga-
tons to him. and therefore. practically
bound TO observe his wishes. More
over ne starts out in each Congress
with the right to put in important com
mittee places the men who he knows
VIII carry out his orders.
To my mind IL is perfectly obvious
mat the only way 10 make the Speaker
what the Constitution Intended he
should be, presiding officer 10 cOnstrlle
Ihe rules and attend To the orderly dis
pdtch or business by the House is to
have the House elect committee ou
committees This committee would nat
urdlly he selected. the majority mem
bers bN the majority party i'm its eau
Gus and the minority members bv the
minority party IN its caucus The elec-
uon by the House would follow.
Up to Democrats.
That a committee on committee
would be a cumbersome body and wouId
act in an unsatisfactory manner. is an
argument which I consider untenable
The majority members would select the
majority members OF the other commit
tees. and the minority members would
exercise the same function for their
party. The Steering Committee of the
Senate operates in this way and has
even ana does give entire satisfaction
The committee on committees WO1IId uOt
meet save at the opening Of a Congress
or when vacancies occurred In commit
tee membership through death or other
causes.
Moreover. I relieve that this change
tHe ne only cnanBe which Will strike a vital
blow at the pr sent iniouitoue s,ystay1
by which the Speaker exercises a power
out or all proportion to what was in
tended for him by the founders of this
Iovernment-Inust be made by q Demo-