The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-21

ercise that power; otherwise the ma
jority is inefficient and does not per-
form its function.
! The office of the minority is to put
| the majority on it's good behavior, adj
/, vocating in good faith the policies
| which it processes, ever ready to take
| advantage of the mistakes of the ma
jority party, and appeal to the country
/ From time to time heretofore.[ the
majority has become the minority, as
| in the present case, and from time to
time hereafter the majority will be-
| come the minority. The country be-
( heves that the Republican party has a
majority of forty-four in the house OF
representatives at this time, yet such
Is not the case.
The present speaker of the house has,
to the best of his ability and judgment.
| co-operated with the Republican party
and SO far in the history of this con-
gress the Republican party in the
house has been enabled by a very small
majority, when the test came, to legis-
late in conformity with the policies and
the platform of the Republican party.
Such action, Of course, begot criticism
which the speaker does not depre-
cate-on the part of the minority party.
The speaker cannot be unmindful of
the fact, as evidenced by three previous
elections to the SpeakerShip, that in the
past he has enjoyed the confidence of
the Republican party of the country
and of the Republican members of the
house; but the assault upon the speak
er of the house by the minority, supple
mented by the efforts of the so-called
insurgents, show that the Democratic
minority, aided by a number of So
called insurgents, constituting Is per
cent of the majority party in the house,
is now in the majority. and that the
speaker of the house Is not in harmony
with the actual majority of the house,
as evidenced by the vote just taken.
There are two courses open for the
speaker to pursue.
One is to resign and permit the new
combination of Democrats and insur-
gents to choose speaker in harmony
with its acts and purposes.
The other is for that combination 10 1
declare a vacancy in the office Of
q new speaker.
After consideration at this stage of
the session of the house. with much of
important legislation pending. involv-
ing the pledges of the Republican plat
form, and their crystaiization into law
believing that his resignation might
consume weeks of time. in the reor-
ganization of the house. the speaker,
being in harmony with Republican poll
cies and DESTROYS of carrying them out
declines b., his own motion to precipi-
tate a contest upon the house in the
election of a new speaker. a contest that
might greatly euda1ger the final pass
age of all legislation necessary to re-
deem Republican pledges and fulfill Re-
publican promises
This is one reason why the speaker
does not resign at once; and another
reason is this: In the judgment of the
present speaker q resignation in and of
itself is a confession of weakness or
mistake or an apology for past actions.
The speaker is not conscious of hav-
ing done any political wrong. The same
rules are in force in this house that
have been in force for two decades. The
speaker has construed the rules as he
found them and as they have been con-
strued by previous speakers from Thos-
z. Reeds incumbency down to the pres
ent time.
Heretofore the speaker has been a
member of the committee on rules COW
ering a period of 60 years, and the
present speaker neither has sought new
power nor has he unjustly used that
already conferred upon. him.
There has been much talk on the part
of the minority and of the insurgents
of the "czarism'' of the speaker, cul- |
minating in the action taken today.
The real truth is that there is no CO.
herent Republican majority in the
house of representatives. Therefore. the |
real majority ought to have the cour- |
age of its convictions and logically meet
the situation that eonfronts it.