The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-02-13
THEY STAND ALONE
PRoGREsslvEs IN NEW HOUSE
Will DEMAND RECOGNITION
OF THEIR PARTY.
ARE LIKELY TO BE GRaTlFIED
Northern Democrats Now Preparing
10 Ask as Full Representation on
Committees as Their Brethren
From Southern States.
8, GEORGE CLINTON.

From Southern states.
81 GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.--The advance guard OF
the Progressive pArty which has NOV
ed on WashingtSs has made ii per
fectly plain that the first act of their
epresentatives-elsct, OF whom mere
are nineteen, on the converting oil the
next house win be 10 demand recos-
milton as the delegation-elect OF a dis-
tinct political Organization. AS has
been told before in these Washington
dispatches, some OF the Democratic
leaders of tie present house have
shown symptoms of an intention wheh
the next congress is organized 10
avoid recognition of the existence OF
the Progressive party as party.
In the new Congressional Directory
which has just been issued the list OF
members-elect of the next congress is
given and like the list which appear
ed in the last directory which was Is
sued early in December, the Progress
sives whose names appear are all set
down as Republicans The Progress
sives are anxious 10 learn If this thing
is to be continued when the next al
rectory comes out, which will De the
Official book OF the congress in which
they have a part,
In the book which has just come
cut Senator Dixon of Montana in ms
biography, which like the other sena-
tors and members he has written him
self appears as Progressive. Here
tofore he has appeared as Republl-
can. Senator Miles Poindexter OF
Washington also appears as q Pro
gressive, having with his own hand
erased the designation Republican
and replaced 1t with Progressive. Or
course in the next directory when the
Biographies Of all the members-elect
appear those who are Progressiyes
will SO be designated in that part OF
the book which they write themselves
but the question they want answered
is whether or not the house commit
tee which rules printing matters Will
continue to put the Republicans and
the Progressives together in the lists
without making any distinction be-
tween them.
Sectional Question Added.
1t must be said, however, that the
belief is here that the house authori-
ties will recognize the Progressives as
a distinct party and II this is, done
1T viii add another factor to the prob
lem of committee appointments which
the Democrats must solve. Not long
ago a Pennsylvania Democratic rep
Tesentative wrote TO Northern Demo
Gratis who have been elected to the
Sixty-third congress, and also ap-
preached the northern members Of his
party holding ONCE in the present
house, on the subject Of demanding
that the north be recognized as fully
as the south in the matter OF commit
tee assignments. There Is interest
among all the members of congress
irrespective OF party in the outcome
of this sectional question.
Naturally most OF the chairman OF
the house committees in the present
congress are southerners, for the rep
Tesentation of the south is larger than
that OF the north. but, more than this,
most of the southerners have been in
congress longer than their northern
brethren and have certain rights &C
corded to them by the rule OF senior
ity. Is
Seniority privileges, however. are
not as well recognized in the popular
branch of the national legislature as
they are in the senate. The house
can DO pretty much as 1t chooses
without making its pillars tremble.
The Democratic leaders have declared
that they intend TO do full justice to
the northerners Of their party when
the northern representation is as
great as or greater than the southern
representation, and they cite what al
ready has been done for the northern
ers who are in minority on the
Democratic side in this congress.
Murdoch Fiocks by Himself.
There will be other committee prob
lens for the Democrats to solve. In
the next house OF representatives
there will be sitting representatives
OF FIVE parties" Democrats. Repub-
licans, insurgent Republicans, Pro
gressiyes and--Victor Murdoch. The
Kansas gentleman seems stiil OF a
mind TO hold aloof from Republican.
Progressive Republican and Progress
siye causes. whether he intends 10
declare himself party organization
remains TO be seen. but on some
ground or another he probably will be
given membership in one or two OF
the house committees At present he
has chair In the committee on post
ofices and post roads and with that
apparently he is content
No new Democratic member OF the
house viii be given a chairmanship.
This much can be taken for granted.
The only committee Of great import.
ance IN the present house which has
a northern man for It's chairman is
that OF appropriations and curiously
enough it's chieftain Is John j. Fitz-
gerald. who only three or four years
ago Was denounced by the men who
recently consented TO honor him with
the craftsmanship of the COMMITTEES on
appropriations.
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