The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-28
PRETTY PROBLEM
FOR CHAMP CLARK
Wants to Be Speak e r
With His Wings I'm
clipped.
AND YET CANNON
MUST BE CURBED
"Comnittcc on Committees"
, Such as Many Propose, Would
Make Speaker Merely Pre-
siding Officer, and This on
Threshold of Demo
cratic Victory.
Ispeclal 10 The Times Dispatch.

fltt'ldi " i ~ .-..
Washington. y. e, Mafch -i,--'hans ',ll',
Democratic leaders believe that their
party VIII controi inc next houSe. IN
mat event Sla.np tialN. w SV''te -"
Eood man VIII oe opeaNe,
'he SONGS OF ,pe l,' iCeiilpe'.,. 80 80
10 'he si'ecl .ns' oa,, s,,..',o,i
VOC iilueh pomstt no. -, r,',,,ad -,
tnat ne shouin hol We pel .',.. ~,
app9t,ht IN, ~ 49,. ~ w. ,,.ou ,,hIa 70 dfroct
intt1ie,ton ~ ,,lus,rate. No interstate
No. h,,is ,,.ern rsnS rted from his
.r,'d,ciarv l,oron,Itten and All Appaly-
chian park bills were killed in the
Committee ON Agriculture The power
IN ns,rc comr,tttees gives him The
Win hand. In o,her words, the Dem
oerats and Insurgents say the Speaker
ix able TO promote or hinder tho pas
sage OF bills.
The questions hero now arc. VIII
the Domocrats--on wnnt they believe
10 he the threshold OF vlctory-tako
that power from the speaker? VIII
tho friends OF Champ Clark, who would
he honorcd with chairmanships
and good appointments, werc he In
the chair-thc same ono now occupied
by Uncle Joe--permit it''
CIHston's Mistnkc
This promises 10 he very live issue
tu the Democratic camp. Representa-
tive Sims, by mistake OF Chairman
Clayton who, b. previous arrange
mcnt, should have recognized some
body else. prccipitatcd lively debate
over this very question at the Demo
cratic caucus Thursday night
By parliamentary trick, however.
he was thwarted his resolution being
.,letracked. and later. left high and
ary nv motion 10 adjourn.
Bnt the matter viii not down. Rep
rcsentatiye Hay. OF Virginia. although
he did no, think the Sims resolution
timely. is one OF tic leaders in the
Hshi for committee on committees
Hs thinks that the Democrats should
the reformation In tile rules he viii
do so.
penrnsentatIye uauren listed with
the insurgents. 1t Is said. viii. be-
fore the session is ont. introduce
resolution providing for committee
on committees Should he carry out
his purpose tho Democrat would tavc
to stand up and be counted Mr.. HAY,
as announces. will Introduce the prop.
osition in the next House should it
he Democratic.
Mr. Hay denies that tho "system,"
nv which Mr.. Cannon controls tho
House has been destroyed by deprfv.
.ng him OF a membership on the
Committee on Rules.
sttIi An-rowcrful.
"Tou will note" he declared 'that
tho new Republican membership on
tnat committee consists of tho
Speakers closest friends men who
VIII carry out his wishes. and he
might as wei be on the COMMITTEES, so
FAR as the aims and lntents of the
reorganization go. The Sneaker draws
most of his power from his privilege
fpf naming the members and chairmen
nf the committees. So long as he can
fdo that, he can build UP and preserve
RI perfect working machine ma
rhne made up of men who are under
personal obligations TO him, and, there
1ore, practically bound to observe his
f"lShes.
moreover. ne starts out in each
sSonsfess with the right 10 put in i'm
I tportaht committee places the men who
khe knows Will carry out his orders
iThese men. the ones he has obligated
tby committee appointments. will all
ways be on hand to see to 1t in the
traucus that members secretly named
.by the Speaker Will be put on the
tRules Committee. Thus his machine
land the system VIII be perpetuated as
teHecuNely as IL mas operated in the
past.
The only way to make the Speaker
what the Constitution intended he
should be, Mr.. Hay thinks. is to have
tthe House elect the committees through
"a committee on committees, each side
manning It's representatives in caucus.
II IS contended that this mode of pro-
! cedure would not be cumbersome, The
senate, with It's steering committee, is
cited
Must Come from Democrats.
pelieNe' said Mr.. Hay. that this
chanSe--the only one which will strike
vital blow at the present iniquitous
system BY which the Speaker exercises
ia power out OF all proportion TO what
was intended for him by the founders
rrn ao,at,a rIn M. oe n's,ue ~