Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-21
SATURDAYS REVOLUTION.

Speaker Cannon has been shorn Of
much of the arbitrary power over the
nouse of representatives which he has
Exercised TO the advantage of special
interests over the interests of the peo-
pie He met crushing defeat Sat
urday. He was eliminated from the
committee on rules and as a possibility
for reelection as speaker. The
rules are to be amended. The house
has said so. It met the speaker and
his forces on the question on appeal
from the chair and definitely settled
the question whether the house as
body or the speaker controlled. The
house of congress simply revolted
and threw off an onerous yoke. Mr..
Cannon can not under orders from any
-,~ lrce now dictate what measures
II or shall not he considered. He
car not on his personal judgment or
as the agent OF others, force bills thru
without debate. The revolution of
Saturday has made the house a DELHI
erative body again instead Of a COM
pany under command of a centurion.
Saturday marked the beginning Of the
end of Cannonism. 1t would have
been more satisfactory as ex-Con-
gresham Hepburn suggests. had the
house assumed its right to appoint
committees but that may come later
and at any rate the claws of the sys-
tenn were effectually clipped.
1T is pleading the baby act as we'll as
plain lying to attribute the revolution
to the personality of Cannon. The
eight was on the system, against Can
nonism. That was the essence Of the
fight. To gay that it is of injury to
the republican party is equally fall
lacious. 1t is the salvation. perhaps, Of
the party. Cannonisn and the rule Of
those who are Cannonisn are rapidly
driving the rank and file Of the party
to revolt as Cannon drove the house
into revolution. Eight republicans out
Of ten will approve the action of the
house. Seven out of ten win approve
it openly and enthusiastically.
Smith and Hull died in the last
ditch of Cannonism. They should be
left there Smith is a member of the
rules committee, a Cannonite pure and
simple obedent active, loyal TO the
system. In the reorganization Of the
committee Smith and the rest of the
side with the fallen emperor. Hull
should be eliminated also. If Iowa is
to be represented on the rules com
mittee it should be by some one who
represents Iowa and who is likely to
be sent back to congress from Iowa
The vote shows several who would be
highly acceptable to the state and
none who would m ore nearly represent
the state generally than the member
from the Fifth district
Cannon is still speaker. For that he
has the "insurgent' republicans to
hhank, if he feels any tendency toward
gratitude. That they saved him
proves the claim that the revolt was
against the system instead of the man.
Mr.. Cannon is on old man, drunken
with authority, fierce with the i'm
placability of those who made and con-
troll him but shorn of his czarship he
IS only an old man after all. 1T is not
question Of whom shall preside but
how he shall preside. 1t is necessary
for the representatives of the United
States to become representative of the
whole people, TO assert their right to
question the advisability Of legislation,
to be legislators in fact instead Of
dummy directors of an incorporated
SasSS-ess;; with privilege &c dc what they
are permitted or ordered to do by the
voice of autoeracy. That is the whole
story of the revolution Of Saturday.
Ut is return toward popular govern
nent.