Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-21
luton shall be considered by the House
OF Representatives"
Fowler Assails Speakers Power.


Fowler Assails Speakers Power.
The House of Representatives should
now take the final step to insure its free
DOM" said Mr.. Fowler today, after all
the excitement was over.
The naturalization In the Speaker of
the right to appoint committees and to
control legislation through the commit-
tee on rules and tine power Of recogni-
ton made him the most peryasive and
autocratic influence in American political
life. To say that the consequence OF
these powers had made the once q gigan-
tic machine OF political backmail Is only
to state what everybody now admits.
How often have we seen men rolling
in the dust Of expectation before this
throne Of political dispensation, or grovel-
ing in the mire of cowardice and con-
temptability before this juggernaut Of
brutal despotism. What convictions have
not been suffocated by a sense Of graft
tude. what opinions have not been sup
pressed by an overwhelming hope, what
impulses have not been poisoned by a de-
basing fear.
I'VE have seen truculent sycophants
reap the rich harvest Of their subserv-
iency, while honest and brave men have
been put to the political sword
THE House wing Of the Capitol was
built as the fortress of the American peo-
pie. as the sanctuary Of public opinion
but 1t has been converted into charnel
house Of character itself.
Would Strip Of All Power.
arrogantly used by the Speaker, was alb
solutely essential to the restoration Of
free. representative government. We
have already eliminated the Speaker
from the committee on rules. 1t Is now
xL-x I,
power to appoint committees and limit its
functions to the single duty Of presiding
over the deliberations of the House.
The resolution introduced by me today
will establish the principle of just repre-
sentatfon from the standpoints of popula-
ton, geography and the peculiar business
interests of every section, and will secure
to both the majority and the minority the
right to select its membership on the re-
spective committees.
Under the circumstances neither the
republican nor the democratic members
can afford to falter in the accomplishment
of this great reform. because the people
are now demanding more than mere slav-
ish party service. They are demanding
today a patriotic devotion to duty without
reference to party consequences, If, un-
happily, party policies do not seek the
public good and conserve the general well
fare.
THE people always have hailed and fol-
lowed party leaders. and they always will
do SO. But today these leaders must be
men whose views appeal to the con-
science. the Imagination. the intelligence,
the sober judgment and the sound reason
ing of the people.
Nor will the people be slow to detect
the first signs Of degeneration from true
leadership into bossship; for they have
learned that where leadership ends and
bossship begins the baneful influence of
political corruption starts its deadly
work.
What the people want is responsible
representative government. They will
repudiate every betrayal of that expecta-
tion and trust, whether ii be on the part
Of a republican or democrat