Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-06
Insurgents Told They Can
not Operate as Free
Lances, but Must Co.
operate With Regulars.
REPUBLICANS PUT IN
HOPELESS POSITION
Democratic Action in In
creasing Size Of Commit
tees Without Increasing
Minority Weakens Latter.

Washington, D. c., April 5.-Presi-
dent Taft's message urging the rati-
fication of the reciprocity agreement
with Canada was read in both houses
of congress today. 1t was known in
advance that the president would
confine himself to the subject of reci-
procity and this robbed the message
of any unusual interest.
1t was listened to without applause
and referred to the appropriate COM
mittee. The house took up the adop-
tion OF its new rules, limiting gen
eral debate on the subject to four
hours to be equally divided and grant
ing the privilege OF offering any sub
stitutes of the rules. The insurgents
pleaded for the privilege of separate
amendments, but were told by the
democratic leaders that their amend
ments would have to be included in
! the proposed republican substitute
resolution.
The rules make provision for the
election of committees instead Of their
appointment by the speaker, and en-
large the membership of several Of
the committees. Six old committees
are abolished. The principal change
is, rule which permits germane
legislation on an appropriation bill.
when 1t tends to retrench expendi-
lures. The democrats continued cal
endar Wednesday and enlarged the
rule for the discharge of committees.
The republican substitute for the
democratic code of rules was offered
by Mr.. Mann. It provides for the use
during the extra session of the rules
Of the last congress and for an investl-
CATION and codification of rules before
next December.
Republicans to Keep Up Fight.
The republicans have given notice
/ that they will conduct sharp fight
against the house rules. The fight
centers about the action of the dem
ocrats in increasing the size of vari-
ous committees, without increasing
,the minority representation thereon.
The result has been to leave republi-
cans in hopeless position in all OF
the committees.
Representative Mann of Illinois has
dropped quite gracefully into his roll
as minority leader.
The house. insurgents do not know
as yet where they stand. They gave
evidence today Of an appeal to the
democrats to be recognized as a sep
arate minority.
None of the republican places on
committees will be filled until after
today's fight on the rules Is settled.
Mr.. Mann was authorized by the regu-
lar republican caucus to fill the repub-
lican berths on the various commit
tees.
Cannon chides Opponents.
Former Speaker Cannon made his
maiden speech of the session in the
house today during the republican
fight against the new democratic
rules. He chided both the democrats
and the insurgent republicans alike
and practically announced tnat as an
individual member he proposed TO
even up for some of the things said
about him. Shouts of laughter on
both sides greeted his declaration that
81 never felt less like dying than I
do now"
Quiet Day in Senate.
The senate was in session only rs
minutes today. The only business
transacted was the reading OF the
presidents message urging the pro-
posed bill to carry out provisions Of
the Canadian reciprocity agreement
and the reference of the message to
the finance committee.