The Alaska citizen., 1911-01-02

These rules have been assailed al almost every point by the Democrats. They have made the speaker czar, and have efIeCtually throttled the minority party. I he changes ef- fectei by the Democratic lnsurgent combination ill the last session some what modified them; but they have not been accepted by the Democrats as expressing the Democratic view of what rules should be for the pro cedure of the house.
 Rule Modification Problem.
 T. will remain for the Democrats 10 accept the rules as they stand. and run the risk of having the Coun- try rise up against Car Clark" and the obnoxious D mocratic rules" or undertake the dangerous task of mod flying them. and run the risk of passing part of the control of the house into the hands of the Repub- liCan minority. The Democrats do not relish the task ahead of them. but il is one of the problems they have fallen heir to by taking con trul at time when the waters are most troubled.
 The struggle between the two par ties for control of the house cannot properly be called fight, for the speakers gavel. The speakers gayel is q peculiar institution, and is the one thing most closely identified with the personality of the presid- ing officer of the house. Like the silver inkstand used by the vice pres ient in the senate, it becomes the property of the presiding officer when his term is over
 Uncle Joe Has Four Gave!s.
 More than this, if a speaker serves for more than one congress he has I new gavel made for him at each reelection. Speaker Cannon now has at his home the gavels with which he has ruled the Fifty-eighth Fifry-ninth and Sixtieth congresses; and at the end of the coming short session will add to the collection the me he is now using to control the SiXty-first congress.
 These are his personal souvenirs of stormy moments in the chair. A l matter of fact, the official gayel with ivory head and rosewood han
 le. is not the one used in the ma jority of cases by the speaker. It is he official impliment; but the ones that actually do the work are usual ly of oh ap manufacture, with wood en heads, producing a much more dis met noise when hammered against he wooden sounding board of the packers desk.
 Champ Clark. when he takes the speakers chair will probably fol, oW the example of his predecessors and lay in d supply of these wooden mallets for everyday use. Speaker Cannon used from six to eight of hem in session, breaking some in noments of excitement and giving ,thers away before their usefulness vas impaired All of them wer, disposed of by the end of the session. 0 friends and members of congress, who sought them as souvenirs.
 Some Gavels "Dedicated."
 The custom has also grown ur lately of sending gayels to the speaker to have them dedicated for private patriotic assemblies. The wife of prominent member of con gress has in several sessions asked speaker Cannon to use some half dozen new gavels in sessions of the house. After these had actually served to call the American house of representative to order she pre- sented them to patriotic organiza- tions. to whom they possessed a much deeper significance than an ordinary gavel might have had.
 Speaker Cannon is left-handed, while most of the members of con gross who take turns in presiding over the house are right-handed. As result the green cloth on both sides of the speakers reading desk is well worn, where the resounding whacks of the gavel have been plac- ed in the effort to call the house to order
 Champ Clark, the prospective Democratic speaker, is of the Crdin ary right-handed type of congress men, and the left-hand side of the desk may be expected to present a smooth and unrufIled appearance af- ter he takes office
 Other environments of the speak CT will not suffer change with the changing color of the house While Uncle Joe's" eyes have found 1t difficult to see anyone on the right hand side, the new Democratic speaker will probably find it equally hard to see the members on his left But the difficulty will be purely political one.
 The mace which precedes the speaker in the house chamber, and is elevated to position behind his desk, does not change; the same flags will drape the space back of his chair; and MT. Clark will prob ably move his belongings up to the same spacious private offices that Speaker Cannon has enjoyed dur ing the last session.
 "Cherokee Strip" to Vanish.
 The earliest effect of Democratic occupancy of the house chamber will be the disappearance of the fa- nous Cherokee strip, which has existed ever since the membership became large enough to overflow from the majority side. Three rows Democratic side have been set aside for the overflow Republicans. Dur ing the sixteen years of continuous Republican rule, almost every con- gress has had to relegate some of it's authodox Republicans to this fam ous strip of Democratic territory
 The seats in the house are evenly distributed between the Republicans and the Democrats, and the Republi- can majority has had no place to go except into the vacant Democratic seats. Many a budding Republican has had his aspirations nipped by being sent into this hopeless coun- try Many RenlIhlican of long and