The Washington times., 1913-03-24
SUFFRAG|STS AFTER
jim" MANN'S SCALP
Remarks of Minority Leader
Anent Pageant Result in
Widespread Opposition.

Minority Leader jim MdHl' uedo VI
the Republican membership of the
House in the last Congress. succeeded
in stirring up trouble for himself when.
about the close of the session of the re-
cent Congress, he reflected on the suf-
fragists who marched in the parade of
March and voiced the opinion they
ought TO have been at home looking al
ter their household duties instead of in
dulging In a procession on Pennsylvania
avenue.
OF course, Congressman Mann has
long thrived on trouble. He is perfect
ly at home in a scrap. Still, he has
stirred up one of new sort, with which
he, experienced tactician and strategist
that he is, doesn't know quite how to
jroceed.
Mr.. Mann will doubtless be re-chosen
for minority leader. But before he
shied an unfortunate remark in the di-
rection of the suffragists he had oppo-
sition. Now he has more of it, And
the suffragists are writing their Repub-
lican friends demanding the Mann scalp
and otherwise causing worry for the
Chicago statesman.
Troubles in Plenty.
troubles in plenty before the suffragists
camped on their trail and. threatened
them If they put Mann again at their
head and hence the situation gives
them some anxiety Suffrage States
are getting sufficiently numerous now
SO that no we'll advised politician makes
any mere gratuitous reflection on wom-
an suffrage or anything pertaining
thereto IL he can just as well avoid II.
-~lA iS q
Republican talk adverse to Mann, which
has been accentuated by his observa-
tions anent the suffrage parade. 1t Will
probably not come to anything. II
looks as IL II would be impossible for
the Mann opposition to crystalline on
any other individual for leader. Esch
of Wisconsin is talked of, Gardner OF
Massachusetts,, and two or three others
have been considered. The outcome Will
probably be the selection Of Mann for
minority leader, and things will run on
about as before in the Republican camp
In the House.
May Limit Power
Considerable talk is heard. however
Of clipping the wings of the minority
leader by depriving him of the power
to make up the Republican assignment
to committees. A plan to make. the Re
publican members of the Ways and
means COmmltSee tne SOnm1ttee OF
Committees is discussed. This woult
make the minority leader a much les.
powerful parsonage than he Is now. IL
fact, there Is as much reason for de
priving the minority leader Of ths
power to fill committee places as there
was to deprive the Speaker of sucf
power.
Singularly enough, the fault they ar,
finding with Mann in House Republi
can circles is. not that he isn't busy
hrNf no kn fc 20 h..e fe
that there never was another man IL
the House who was quite so busy a
Mann. He de yours whole tones o
Government statistics and seems to b
as much thrilled over them as If the
were novels.
Is Whole Show.
He is so efficient that he runs tn
whole show on the Republican side an.
nobody else car get a word in edge
wise. There are those who assert tina
IL Mann continues two more years u
be Republican leader, the powers Of tn
Republican members to make motion
and speak speeches will atrophy. Man,
Republicans want a leader who won
try 10 do all the work himself an
will let the other fellows do something
Besides, they accuse jim of mis-
taking at times his own policies 70
those of the Republican party, and o
not pelng able, aItnousn party ledde
in the House, to forget his own like
and dislikes. Still another complain:
emanating from the Republican con
servatives is that Mann deals to
leniently with the Progressive Repub
licans.
Such a series of complaints woul
insure most anyone else loss of tn
leadership! But Mann is so pestifer
ously busy and SO preternaturally ac
tive that they can't lose him. So h
will probably be reelected without tn
opposition coming to a head