Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-04-06
President Confines His Efforts
to Single Subject and Urges
Ratification Of Agreement at
Once,
HOUSE ORGANIZES BY
ADOPTING NEW RULES
Former Speaker Cannon En-
IivenS Session By Denuncia-
ton of Efforts Of Those Who
Would Reform Procedure,
Isy Morning Journa, Special Leased wlr.l

IBy Morning Journal Special Leased wirel
Washington, April 5.--Both houses
of congress listened today to Presi-
dent Taft's brief message urging the
adoption of the reciprocity agreement
with Canada.
Then with the senate adjourned,
the democratic house proceeded fur
ther with its organization by adopt
ing new rules.
These are largely repetition OF
those that have been handed down In
many congresses. The democrats
claim their greatest reform Is TAX
ing from the speaker his power to
appoint committees and to designate
the chairman of each committee.
The new rules provide for the elec-
ton of committees and their chair
men.
The second reform Is a return to
the former democratic practice Of
permitting legislation in appropria-
tion bills when the legislation tends to
reduce expenditures.
The rules continue the calendar
Wednesday" and the unanimous con-
sent of the calendar and seek to per-
feet the rule for the discharge OF
committees. This latter, the demo-
Gratis say. effectively does away with
the former practice Of sitting lesis-
lation in committees,
Special order limiting debate on
the rules to four hours Immediately
brought eaf crJ ~ gag rom the
Republicans. The speeches We're more
or less of political nature and there
was no serious fight on the rules
themselves.
The republicans claimed they We're
debarred from making such fight
because of the further provision OF
the special order that only one sub
stitute of rules could be offered by
the minority Even roll call was
demanded by the republicans on the
adoption Of the rules.
The political battle. which ragged
for four hours was but foretaste
Of others to come, and which are ex-
pected to make the present congress
notable. Representatives Mann was
ably seconded by former Speaker
Cannon and Representatives Dalzell
and Olmstead.
Mr. Mann charged the democrats
with insincerity. inasmuch as they
spoke In praise of the rule and said
they had no purpose to take away
from themselves as a majority. the
right to control legislation. He char
acterlzed the rule for the discharge of
committees as "an utter absurdity,
not to say idiocy.'
Chairman Henry Of the new rules
committee, retorted that the rules
thus characterized had called out the
most doleful speech from Mr.. Mann
that he had ever heard that gentle
man make. Mr.. Henry also said the
fault the American people had found
in the past was not so much with the
house rules as the bad administration
of those rules.
Mr.. Cannon's speech was easily the
feature. He was greeted with APP
plause from both parties when ne
arose to make his maiden address OF
the session.
II want to say here and now he
declared, that substantially the rules
proposed by this legislation are an
endorsement of nearly all that Is good
In the rules that have evoluted since
the adoption of the constitution, ana
therefore | am not going to critlcise
the rules merely because the majority
of the house proposes to adopt them.
Sometimes maiorlties and minor
itlcs tear passion to tatters and appeal
from the standpoint of demagogery
and clap-trap. to people that wonld
not know a rule or code Of rules II
they met in the middle of a street.
"And now il Is said we have a una
nimous consent calendar. | am glad
that we have. Along with that Is the
saying, in the language of the dis
tinguished gentleman from Kansas
(Mr Mnrdock) and the universal rep
resentatlon OF the uplift magazines
| that II Is no longer necessary to crawl
upon your knees, hat in hand to ask
teh speaker for recognition for una
nimous consent
''When the unanimous consent cal
endar is called II my Judgment
prompts me to object TO the consid-
ertation of a bill. no doubt the man
in charge of that bin, will flguratlve-
ly come on his hands and knees. with
his hat in his hand even the gentle
man from Kansas Mr.. Murdock) try
ing to convince his co-member on the
floor that the consideration Of the
bill ought not be objected to-"
Mr.. Cannon criticised the rules foi
not permitting the discharge OF the
rules committee itself and declared
that "czar Henry would he no more
or less OF "czar" than was the for
mer speaker.
Mr., Cannon also complained that
no method was provided for the $50
cialist minority from Wisconsin," OF
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