The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-01-12

Democratic Members in Con-
fress Appear in IN
UnenviabIe Light.


led With Speaker Cannon On a
T.. mt Which They Claimed . Year
p. Was "Czarism"-Tariff Com
mig Convention I'm Session I'm
Wash. n-The Election OF Sem
ators by Direct vote-A False
and Dangerous Tariff Doctrine
Republican Doctrine Ii Sound.
Especial to The Caueasian.)
Washington. D. c.. Jan 10, 1910.
The Democratic members OF the
House OF Representatives never ap-
peared in a more unenviable light
than on yesterday. 1t came about in
this way.
Representative Fuller, OF Illinois,
following the precedent established
by the House last session. prece-
dent established by the Joint votes
of the Democrats and the progressive
Republicans in over-ruling Speaker
Cannon-offered a motion amending
the rules of the House and claimed
that it took precedence over another
motion which did not concern priv
ilege of the House recognized by the
Constitution Of the United States.
Speaker Cannon over-ruled the mo-
ton, just as he over-ruled the mo-
ton last session, at which time he
I'D Nv fho
An Appeal From the Decision of the
Speaker.
The Progressive Republicans ap-
pealed from the decision of the chair,
and of course had the right to expect
that the Democrats would follow
their action of the last session and
stand with them and thus over-rule
the Speaker on exactly the same
point at issue, but only few of the
Democrats stood consistently by the
position which they took last year.
The majority Of the Democratic Con-
gressmen voted to sustain Speaker
Cannon, thus reversing their former
position.
To-day, there is much criticism on
every hand, not only in both Houses
of Congress, but in the hotels and
over the city generally about the
cheap politics and the inconsistent
position which the Democrats have
taken.
The Progressives Blame the Demo
! Gratis.
Representative Norris. of Nebras
ka, who made the motion last veal
to over-rule the Speaker, which mo
ton was carried by good majority
in the House, was indignant at wha
he called the bad faith" and incon
sistency of the Democrats.
eve went into the rules fight
year ago." said Mr.. Norris, ION th'
belief that we were justified and tina
we were acting as matter OF con
stitutional privilege. Speaker Can
non declared that action was revolu
tionary. AS a matter of fact, we be
gan our fight after the Speaker rule'
that a report from the Census Com
mittee was privileged under the Con
stitution, and, therefore, could dis
place other business because censu
reports are mentioned in the Consti
tuition.
Democratic Inconsistency.
"The rules Of the House also ar
mentioned in the Constitution, ant
i taking the Speakers ruling as pre-
: cedent. introduced my amendmen
( to the rules and claimed for it tn
same constitutional privilege as tina
granted the census report. We wo
q that fight" continued Mr.. Norris. 81
. Speaker Cannon was right when b
ruled that the census report wa
Q privileged under the Constitution
r the insurgents were right when the
insisted that the rules amendmen
; based on his precedent, was priv
legged. II we were both right,
that time, then the Speaker ws
wrong when he ruled against tn
: Fuller amendment, and the insu
r gents and a hand full Of Democra
q were right when they voted again
him. It is now apparent that tt
. Democrats were with us then II
+ other reasons. Now that they al
> about to get into power, they 4
longer desire to see the rules amen'
ed, nor do they desire to see a ruin
made by the Speaker which ma
!. prove embarrassing in the next Co
I gress when motion is made to Ii
% eralize the rules"
It This action of the majority Of Il
: Democratic Congressman in reVersir
their position on great vital issu
- simply because the next House w
be Democratic, and because thu
themselves do not want to be go
1T erned by the principle in which tn
= joined with the insurgent Repub
cans against Speaker Cannon duril
: the last session, again calls attentis
lei to the habit of1the Democratic par