Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-06
Committees and Their Chair
men Are TO Be Elected.
Ex-Speaker Cannon Brings Down
the House with His Speech.
Pres. Taft Sends Message Urging
Early Action on Reciprocity.

| Washington April Both houses
of Congress listened today to Presi
dent Taft's brief message urging the
adoption of the reciprocity agreement
with Canada.
The Senate adjourned, but the Demo-
cratic House proceeded further With its
organization By adopting a new set of
rules.
To a great extent the new rules are
repetition of those that have been
handed down by many Congresses in
the past. The Democrats assert that
their greatest reform is taking away
from the Speaker his power to appoint
committees and to designate the chair
man of each committee, The new
rules provide for the election OF COM
mittees and their chairman.
The second reform is a return 10 the
former Democratic practice Of permit
, ting legislation on appropriation bills
when that legislation tends to reduce
the expenditures Of the government.
The Democratic rules continue Cal
endar Wednesday" ana the unanimous
consent calendar and geek tn perfect
the rule Tor the discharge of commit
tees. This latter rule. the Democrats
declare. effectively does away with the
former practice of sitting legislation in
committees.
\ special order passed by the Demo-
Gratis and limiting debate ON the rules
to four hours Immediately prompted a
cry of Gag by the Republicans. The
speeches which followed We're all more
or less of a political nature and there
was no serious opposition to the rules
themselves. The Republicans held they
were debarred from opposition because
of the further provision in the special
order that only ono substitute set of
rules could be offered by the minority
Not even a roll call was demanded by
the Republicans on the adoption OF the
rules.
The contest which Waged four hours
was but foretaste of others to come
during the session and which are eX-
pected to make the present Congress
notable. Representative Mann, the
Republican leader, was ably seconded
by EN- Speaker Cannon. and Represen-
tatiVes DalZcll and Olmsted and one
or two Republican INSURGENTS as we'll
The Insurgents assisted their brothers
in the minority by protesting against
the action of the Democrats in adopt
ing the "tyrannical" method of the for
mer majority in shutting off debate and
the opportunity for amendment.
Mr.. Mann charged the Democrats
with insinccrty in much they said
in praise of the rules, and argued that
they had no purpose to take away
from themselves. as majority, the
right to control legislation. He char
acterized the rule for the discharge
of committees as AN utter absurdity.
not to say idiocy."
Chairman Henry OF the new rules
committee rctorted that the rules thus
characterized produced tn" most dole
ful speech from Mr.. Mann that he had
ever heard that gentleman make. Mr..
Henry further said that the Amer
lean people mad found fault not so
much with the House as tie bad ad-
mnistration OF those rules.
Ntr Cannon's speech was easily the
feature. He was greeted with ap-
plause by both parties when he 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 constitu
tion. ard therefore. | am not going
to criticize the rules merely because
the majority of the House proposes
to adopt them. Sometimes majoritics
and minorities tear passion to tatterS
and appeal from the standpoint OF
demagosery and clap-trap. to people
tina, would no. know Il rule or q code
of rules if they met them in the mid
die of street.
II have had Il good deal to do With
rules during my legislative life. |
reported, as a member of the commit
tee on rules, III the 51st Congress what
was then known by an almost unan-
imous press and by a violent minor
ity. as the Infamous Reed rule That
code was thrown open to amendment,
with two days general debate, and
with tie most perfect freedom Of
/ amendment. And at that time the
Republicans had a majority of five
You now have majority of 63. 7 sub
nit to you, as you are now floppine
your wings together on that side, and
have complete harmony and solidarity
that perchance YOU might from the
standpoint of propriety give the mi.
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