The Washington times., 1911-05-01
MANN IS READY TO
REVIVE FIL|BUSTER
TACTICS IN HOUSE
Loads the Committee Dis
charge" Calendar With
Motions.

Il make no promise that will not
demonstrate the idiocy of some of these
rules" said Minority Leader James r
Mann when the Democrats jammed
through the rules of the SiXty-second
Congress. It appears today that Mr.,
Mann, with the aid of some twenty-odd
trusted Republican lieutenants, is about
ready to begin action.
The Democrats laid much stress upon
the calendar for the discharge Of com.
nittees." This calendar is supposed II
bring from the pigeonholes in the COM
mittee rooms certain bills that ought to
pass the House.
The Republicans, while no one was
looking, carefully stacked" this calen-
dar with forty-five motions to discharge.
A Democrat who wants TO jump on a
committees neck may have a look in
about next January. But one motion
by a Democrat is now on the calendar,
and, since the motions must be taken
up and disposed of in order of preced-
ence, the House may just as we'll pre-
pare for another Mann filibuster.
Democratic Plan.
The Democratic rule makers, after
putting their heads together. thought
they had so amended the discharge cal
endar rule that no filibuster could be
conducted under IT. Here was the Dem
ocratic plan, now duly approved by the
House:
mo member must make more than
two motions 20 discharge a committee,
and no bill shall be read by anything
except its title when 1t comes before
the House on this discharge calendar"
The reason for this2 Mr.. Mann had
at the head of the calendar all last ses-
sion bill to revise the postal laws. It's
reading alone would have required a
day. Every time anyone howled about
wanting to bring his pet bill out Of
committee Mr.. Mann would suavely re-
mind the House that his lengthy bill
stood at the head of the list, and the
House would Immediately get busy on
Some other legislation.
By limiting each member to two
motions of this character and by speci-
flying that the entire bill need not be
read, the Democratic strategists be-
neved that the discharge calendar might
really prove of some use.
There are also some strategists on the
Republican side. chief among them be-
ing James R Mann The minority
leader himself could not, under the
rule, load the discharge calendar with
forty-hve motions 10 bring as many
bills out Of committees. But about
TWENTY-FIVE Of Mr.. Manns Republican
friends could make two motions apiece,
could they not?
They could, and they did. Count 'em!
Some of Mann's Aids.
who have come forward with such mo-
tions, each member taking his full al
lowance of two:
Gardner of Massachusetts, Madden Of
Illinois, Prince of Illinois, Austin Of
Tennessee. Roberts OF Massachusetts,.
Calder of New York, Burke Of South
Dakota. Kendall Of Iowa. Campbell of
Kansas, Fuller OF Illinois, Miller of
Minnesota. and others. Some of the
Republicans have contented themselves
for the present with one motion. know
ing that there's plenty of time. mas
much as the calendar cannot be cleared,
as 1t now stands, for many weeks.
OF course Mr.. Mann hasn't proposed
to discharge a single committee His
name doesn't appear on the list. But
Mr.. Mann, so the story goes, has been
neither i'll nor asleep. and when the time
comes, as minority leader. he will de-
mand that the down-trodden minority
members have a right to discharge a |
committee, and he'll demand a few roll |
calls if necessary.
Yes, there's one Democrat who has |
something on the discharge cal |
endar. but he stands in the ration. of |
45 to /.
About June Mr.. Mann will say 81 told |
you So" and il will be the turn of the |
Democratic strategists TO look sick.