Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-10-08
ITEMS OF INTEREST
AT NATIONS CAPITAL
Continued from first mage,


matters. At about that time the
leaders assembled, and turned the
naming of the Committees over to
the Ways and Means Committee
Oscar Underwood for short, and by
virtue of that act the gentleman
from Alabama succeeded to the
place of Gar an expression they
seem to like about Congress. He
had profited by the downfall of
"Cannonism, and to make his po-
sition secure he Immediately inau-
gurated the caucus system, and from
that day to this has invoked it up
on every important occasion. The
House patronage was distributed
through it, and two tariff bills and
a currency measure have been
threshed out behind the guarded
portals of the secret caucus" The
result is that the Democratic mem
bers of the caucus have always
gone into the House with a definite
purpose of legislation that has
swept all opposition before it.
When Reed and Cannon were the
Speakers they did not appoint their
Committees for months. in order
that they might better handle the
opposition. Now the Committees
are named instanter, but the Dem
ocratic leaders who occupy the
chairmanships defer to the caucus
which prescribes the method OF
procedure, and therefore all legisla-
ton that has been suggested out
side the party program has been
strangled to death. Ostensibly the
''one man power of Cannon days
is over, as the new method makes
every member of the majority be-
lieve himself to be an important
part of the system that rules. The
Republicans never discovered the
full power of the caucus until Ii
was directed against them, though
Speaker Clark reminded Congress
man Payne of tariff fame, in the
course of controversy, that the
Republicans had hog combine
that no mortal man could break,
and he added that it lasted for sin
teen years. The Republicans are
going to make an issue of the eau
cus-the same institution the lin.
surgents" refused to participate in
when the G. o. p was in pow,r.
The minority further asserts that
the rules of the House under Can
nonisfl'' were no more arbitrary
than the present system in Con-
gress Speaker Clark has declared
that I'VE must have organization to
enact the will Of the people into
law" He further asserts that the
Democrats have this "organiza-
ton and he says they are using it
in fulfilling their pledges to the
people. Without attempting any
apopology he has told the Repub-
licans that the custom of the pot
calling the kettle black has never
met with the highest encomium in
this country" Right or wrong, the
best of harmony has always been
maintained within the Democratic
organization, and for three years
every party plan has gone through
as sleek as grease
The Senators and Currency.
The Senate has not yet fully
made up its mind to pass the cur
rency bill. Senator'S who oppose
the bill have discovered that they
are being hurried" and in case
they can muster sufficient support
it may be that the talking process
will not be completed by December,
In which case the round of debate
would have to be done all over
again in the winter session. There
is some Democratic disaffection.
and notable Senators pointed out
are Reed and Hitchcock. On the
other hand as this is not necessar-
lily a partisan measure it is conf
IDENTIFY predicted that there will be
plenty of Republican support.
The FOssilized Census.
The disclosure of the Census Blu
reau show that although three and
a half years have elapsed since the
enumeration, much of the work re-
mains uncompleted, and many OF
the reports have never been made.
Thus several million dollars worth
of census work has relapsed into
Junk. Worse still, clerks are kept
on old work thereby holding back
annual reports that are useless. un-
less made On time.
Vitrified Brick Roads.
Government investigation OF VII
trified brick as paving material
for country roads concludes that
Notwithstanding the first high cost,
that four distinct advantages are
obtained. towit Durability, easy