Omaha daily bee., 1911-04-06
CONGRESS HERS
MESSAGE Oh AFT
Democratic House Proceed = Ither
with Its Organization go
Senate AdjOurns. -
FEW CHANGES MADE IN S
Leaders Say Greatest Reform" is
Election of Committees.
POLITICAL BATTLE DEVELOPS
Republicans Assert They Are De-
barred from Making Fight.
CANNON MAKES NOTABLE SPEECH
Special order Limits Debate and Pro-
vides Only One Substitute Set of
Rules Can he offered by
Minority.
FEW CHANGES MADE IN
Leaders Say Greatest Reform" is
Election of Committees.
POLITICAL BATTLE DEVELOPS
Republicans Assert They Are De-
barred from Making Fight.
CANNON MAKES NOTABLE SPEECH

WASHINGTON, April 5-Both houses Of
congress listened today to President Tafts
brief message urging the adoption Of tho
reciprocity agreement with Canada.
Then, with the senate adjourned the
democratic house proceeded further with
its Organization by adopting new rules.
These are largely a repetition Of those
that have been handed down by many
congresses. The democrats say their great
est reform" Is taking from the speaker
HIS power to appoint committees and to
designate the chairman OF each commit
tee
The new rules provide for the election OF
committees and their chairmen.
The second reform is a return 10 the
former democratic practice of permitting
legislation on appropriation bills when tho
legislation tends TO reduce the expenditures
Of the government.
The rules continue calendar Wednesday
and the unanimous consent calendar and
seek to perfect the rule for the discharge
OF committees. This latter the democrats
say, effectively does away with the former
practice OF sitting legislation in commit
tees.
Limitation of Debate Protested.
special order limiting debate on the
rules TO four hours Immediately brought
out a cry Of gag from the republicans.
The speeches were more or less Of poll
tical nature and there was no serious fight
on the rules themselves
The republicans asserted they were de.
barred from making such a fight because
Of the further provision Of the special
order that only one substitute set of rules
could be offered by the minority. Not even
a roll call was demanded by the re.
fHa ,a1
The political battle which waged for four
hours was but a foretaste Of Others to
come and which are expected to make the
present congress notable. Representative
Mann was ably seconded by former
Speaker Cannon and Representatives Dali
zeil and Olmstead Mr.. Mann charged the
democrats with insinoerity in much they
said In praise OF the rules and said they
had no purpose to take away from them
selves as a majority the right TO control
legislation. He characterized the rule tor
the discharge Of committees as "an utter
Chairman Aenry OF the new rules com
mittee retorted that the rules thus char
acterized had called out the most doleful
speech from MIR. Mann that he had ever
heard that gentleman make.
Mr. Henry also said the fault the Amer
lean people had found in the past was not
so much with the house rules as the bad
administration OF these rules.
absurdity not 70 say idiocy."
Chnnoh's Speech Feature.
Mr.. Cannon's speech was easily the fea-
ture. He was greeted with applause from
both parties when he arose TO make his
maiden address OF the session.
Il want to say here and now" he de-
olared, that substantially the rules pro-
posed by this legislation are an endorse
ment OF nearly all that is good in the rules
that have 'oyoluted since the adoption OF
the constitution ana therefore l am not
going TO critlclse the rules merely because
the majority OK the house proposes to adopt
them.
sometimes majotities and minoritics
tear passion to tatters and appeal from
tbs standpoint OF demagoguery and clap
trap TO people that would not know a rul,
or code Of rules II they met in the middl,
OF a street
And Il is now said We have a unani
NOUS consent calendar. 1 am glad we have
Along with that is the saying, in tn,
language of the distinguished gentlsmal
from kansas Olr. Murdock) and tn,
universal representation OF the uplif
magazines that It is no longer necessary
to crawl ON your knees. hat In hand [,
ASK the speaker for recognition for uaani
NOUS consent
When the unanimous consent caienda
Continued on Third Page.)