Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-07
DEMOCRATS REBEL |
|. AT ASSIGNMENTS
Committee Appointments Die
tated by Underwood May
Cause Open Revolt.
cHAIRMAN'S POWER AS
GREAT AS CANNON'S WAS
Railroad Interests Hand Al
legged to Be Behind Some
of the Nominations.
DEMOCRATS IN REVOLT
Metropolitan National Bank Bldg,
Star Bureau,


Star Bureau,
WASHINGTON, June !.
There is a threatened revolt among
Progressive Democrats over the COM
mittee assignments of the majority
members of the House. These ap-
pointments have been practically
dictated by Oscar Underwood. chair
man of the ways and means commit
tee, and the discomfort and dissatis-
faction which began in the Demo-
cratic caucus during the Underwood
process of jamming through the tariff
bill threatents to break into open re-
bellion.
While there are a score or more of
members who are protesting that
their committee assignments show
discrimination, the two members
whose treatment is occasioning most
protest are Representatives Kindel,
of Colorado, and Lewis, of Virginia.
Basis of. KindePs Protest.
Kindel is recognized among stu
dents of railroad regulation as an
expert on the subject and one of the
foremost fighters in the country for
fair treatment for shippers. For a
number of years he fought the rail-
roads in Colorado, and finally secured
recognition from the Legislature for
his claim and put through laws and
rules which resulted in a complete
revolution of railroad rates and prac-
tises in that State. Elected to Con-
gress as a member-at-large from the
H. 10. nj ~
he asked that he be given place on
the committee on interstate COM
fnerce so that he could continue
nationally the work he had made his
specially in his own State.
When the Democratic committee
lists were announced Kindel found
that instead of being on the commit
tee dealing with railroad legislation,
he had been made a member of the
committee on the District of Column
bia. He has now served notice that
he will refuse 10 serve on that COM
mfttee.
1.-The people of my State" says Mr..
t<indel in his resignation from the
District of Columbia committee, did
not send me here TO study the IN
tlicacies of the municipal affairs OF
the city of Washington"
Postal Reformers Angry.
Lewis's case mas not produced as
open revolt, but is, nevertheless,
causing a lot of indignation, partlcu-
larlv among postal reformers.
The Virginia member has been one
If the most aggressive fighters on
the Democratic side for an effective
marcel post system. He has crlu-
cized the present system severely and
urged the adjustment of zone rates
and reduction of charges. He visited
President Wilson at Trenton last
winter to talk parcel post and postal
reforms and it was understood that
the President was in accord VIII
MANY of his views for improving the
conyenfences of the postal service.
1t was generally taken for granted
that Lewis would be a member of the
new House committee on postonces
and post roads. There was general
surprise, when, instead, he was given
the post as chairman of the commit
lee on labor.
The entire New Jersey delegation
has Joined in demanding of Chairman
Underwood that Representative j.
Thompson Baker, of the Second dis
rFict of that State, should be made a
member of the committee on inter-
state commerce. Mr.. Baker was as
signed to three committees of lesser
Importance. AS the first Democrat
who had been elected from his dis
trict for nearly twenty years, and as
a student of interstate commerce the
New Jersey members protested. Yes
terdav Representative Kinkead car
ried their protest to Underwood. who
said. in effect, that he was sorry, but
that under the unwritten rules of the
House the only vacancy on that com
mittee would have to be filed by
Western man.
See Railroads Hand.
In the turning down of Kindel
and Lewis, radical Democrats claim
to see a disposition on the part or
Underwood to head off the consider
alton of any drastic reforms in rail-
road and postal affairs during the
next term of Congress. There are
those who see in the action, too, the
hand of railroad and express COM
pany interests.
To those who have protested to
Underwood about these appointments
the ways and means chairman has
explained that without questioning
the ability of Kindel and Lewis,
there was belief that the former
had been so aggressive that he had
made too many enemies" and that
Lewis was mot sound" in his postal
views.
The whole situation in the House is
becoming strained.
1--WE are pretty near to an explosion
OF some kind" declared a well-known
progressive Democrat a few days
ago.
There are endless stories going
about the hotels and capitol lobbies
here which connect present day hap
penings with a supposed fight in 1916
IL which the alignment is now being
fbrmed. 1t is an open secret that the