New-York tribune., 1911-04-05
IR. UANN AS LEADER.

The selection Of the Hon. James T.
Mann. of Illinois. 10 lead the Republl'
can minority In the House Of Repre-
sentativPs was recognition Of expert
qualifications Of an exceptional kind
Mr.. Mann is. so TO speak, specialist IN
the business of the House. lie has not
been as conspicuous in party manage
ment in the House or out of il as Il
number of his senior colleagues have
been-Mr Cannon. Mr. DalZell. Mr.
Paync and Mr.. Olmsted for instance
He has hardly been a party chieftain at
all. In the old-fashioned sense. But In
applicatiOn to the technical details or
law making in the IIouse-and the proc
csSes of legislation there are complicated
enough 10 defy the patience and III
teligence Of the great majority of lis
members-he has stood for several seS'
sions without rival EX-Speaker Cam
non, being asked last year. when on the
stump i'm lllinQis. who was the most usc-
ful member Of the House. replied with
ont hesitati ion. James r. Mann, Of Chi
that Mr.. Mann was the most efficient
legislator in the body, and that Judgment
was entirely sound in so far as 1t re-
lated 10 the qualities and equipment
which make a man master I'm so de-
cded speciality as framing laws under
the intricate parliamentary system Of
the House.
Mr.. Nann'e value to the House has
been realized more fully by his col
leagues than by the public, because much
Of his work has not been of the sort to
attract general notice. Only those who
have sat in the popular branch or who
have read The Congressional Record
for the last half dozen sessions can
realize with what care and industry the
Chicago member has followed the busi-
ness IF the House down 10 its smallest
detail and what q restraining force ne
has been on questionable legislation. He
has been "a Treasury Watchdog and ~
Great Obiector,' but, unlike William ;.
Holman. Of Indiana, who long appro-
priated those two titles, he has not used
his powers in an illiberal or petty way.
He has yielded TO reason whenever con-
fronted by it. and has only insisted that
the supporters Of measures which came
before the House should make ont "A
good case. He has practised obstruc-
tion as a means to desirable end and
not as an end in itself
The new leaders personal associations
with the old parliamentary order were
close and on that ground. apparently, he
failed 70 receive the support yesterday
Of seventeen insurgent Republicans.
Put it is not probable that Mr.. Mann
i, al heart opposed 10 the new rules. He
accepted them last year and under them
conducted the fight I'm the House for the
passage Of the interstate commerce act,
ameudatory Of the Hepburn act, and Sc.
cured much better law than could prob
ably have been secured with the old
rules In force. The new leader has at
times been an insurgent himself He
voted against the Payne tariff law he
cause the House conferrees yielded TO
the Senate on the wood schedule and
accepted higher duties on paper aud
wood pulp than he thought desirable.
His attitude toward the insurgents win
doubtless be cOnciiatory. for there is
hardly room in the present House minor
ity for faCtional divisions. The minority
will be busy enough putting a check on
the iupulsivenesS Of the i mocratic
majority, aud in that task Mr.. Mann
ought 10 have the cheerful su. e3rt Of
all his Republican associates