The Washington times., 1911-01-03
Fight Likely to Develop In
Caucus Between Progress
SiveS and Conservatives.
TROUBLE MAY COME
ON WAYS AND MEANS
Method of Choosing Committees
Also Likely to Cause
=
Disagreement.

Democratic members of the House
who We're active in committing the
Democratic majority in the next House
to the scheme OF a committee on COM
mittees, are preparing to take over con-
troll of the Democratic caucus on Janu-
airy 19 unless they have positive as
surance that the conservative element
in the House will not attempt to head
or the progressive movement which has
been in progress since the Congress
sional elections.
Information has reached these pro
gressive Democrats that a concerted
movement has been started by the com
servative members of the House who
are opposed to the committee on COM
mittees with a view to demonstrating
to the country that it will be dangerous
to depart from the present plan of COM
Inittee appointment. This movement is
expected to take definite shape when
the members-elect of the Sixty-second
Congress assemble in Washington this
month to make tentative plans for the
session beginning next December, and
to appoint a Ways and Means Commit
tee.
Not Looking for Fight.
fTORTeSSlNe DemuCTdlS are OeSlTOuS
of having the proposed caucus conclude
fits business without a fight. If, how
ever, any effort is made to confuse the
situation or to commit the parry to re-
dictionary policies, the progressives'
plan to take control by sheer force of
numbers will be brought into play.
Aside from fight on the committee
on committees proposition, the great
Gus will be the selection of a Ways and
Means Committee which will be delega-
ted to begin work Immediately for the
purpose of framing a tariff bill as a
whole. or a series of schedules, for in
PRODUCTION at the beginning of the new
Congress.
There are three Democratic members
of the present Ways and Means, Com
mittee who are unsatisfactory to the
progressive Democrats, and they are
slated for retirement. These three MEM
bers are Representatives Broussard, of
Louisiana; Pou, of North Carolina, and
Brantley, of Georgia.
Tariff Views Clash.
Broussard is recognized as a RepubIf-
can in all matters of tariff legislation,
and for that reason is regarded as un-
desirable as a member, of a committee
which is expected to make material re-
ductions in the schedules
Brantley was appointed to the COM
mittee at the last session by Speaker
Cannon, and is opposed not only because
of his supposed friendlineSs for Speaker
Cannon. but because it is feared he will
not be in harmony with the tariff pro-
gram desired. In addition to this Brant- |
ley already has two desirable committee
assignments on Judiciary and Public |
Buildings.
Mr. Pou is to be displaced to make |
a place for Representative Claud Kit |
chin of North Carolina, who has been |
the envoy between the progressives and |
conservatives on the Democratic side of |
the House in an effort to have the COM |
nittee power taken away from the |
Speaker. The progressive Democrats |
are so determined about how the Ways |
and Means Committee shall be made |
UP that ticket already has been agreed |
upon.
The Ticket.
This ticket follows:
Oscar Underwood of Alabama, who |
ranks next to Champ Clark on the |
present committee, and prospective !
chairman of the committee in the mex: |
Congress; McGillicuddy, memper-elect |
from Maine, or Peters of Massachusetts; |
Harrison of New York: A. Mitchell Pal |
mer of Pennsylvania; Kitchin of North |
Carolina; Cox of Ohio; Dixon of In |
diana; James of Kentucky: Hull of Ten
nessee; Shackleford of Missouri; Rainey |
Of Illinois, and Randell of Texas.
OF this number Underwood, Harrison,
and Randell are the only members of
the committee it is planned to retain.
The removal of Broussard, Pou, and !
Brantley is expected to precipitate a bly !
fight, but the progressives declare they
have enough votes to put the ticket |
through without a change.
The caucus is expected to appoint
Committee on Rules, in addition to the
Ways and Means Committee. There is
still a wide difference of opinion as to
the exact manner of electing the stand
fng committees of the House. Some of
th0 progressiVes favor giving the power
to the Rules Committee, and others be-
lleve that it should be delegated to the
Ways and Means Committee. The
present sentiment, however, is to have
the actual election of the committees
go over Indefinitely not only to avoid
q row at this early stage, but also to
enable the Ways and Means Committee
to begin work on the tariff schedules
without being hampered by other mai
ters.
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