The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-01-14
6y ARTHUR w. DUNN.

He Upset Seniority Rule.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
| Washington, Jan. 13.-[Special.l-O
course there will be no change in the
method of the appointment Of commit
tees In the house The ways and
means committee will name the com
mittees when congress is called in ex
| ira session, just as 1t did before, and
will give no more satisfaction. In fact
the new method, seemingly giving the
house power over the selection of com
mittees, is less satisfactory than in
their appointment by the speaker.
Nearly all the Democrats will ac
knowledge that to be the case when
speaking privately. incidentally they
will also say that not a single reform
or advance has been made In the meth
DDS of legislation in the house by the
| new rules or new methods.
Seniority Prevails.
Just as in the senate, seniority pre-
walls in the house committee selections.
The committees of the present house
show that all senior members were
made chairmen, although it was ac-
knowledged that a speaker would not
have selected some of them. Cannon
made more changes In regard to upset
ting seniority than any other man." re-
marked Congressman Sims of Tennes-
see. Eyes, and he always made changes
Of that kind in the interest of efficient
legislation and for the best interests of
the government" remarked Jim Mann.
Then a number Of instances were
pointed out where Cannon had made
important changes, naming chairmen
of committees who had never served
upon such committees and otherwise
taking radical departure from the
seniority rule.
One Man Responsible.
ut is better to have one man respon-
sible instead Of fourteen" remarked
Fitzgerald of New York "a member
Of the house told me that he had the
absolute assurance from eight mem
bers Of the committee that they voted
for him for a committee place. AS
there were only fourteen members Of
the committee he is trying to find out
how he failed to get the place ! told
him to go to the other six and he
would find that they voted for him
also. The only difference was that the
votes were not all taken on the same
day. The only way to make sure of
place is to make a fight. Every man
who threatened to fight If he was not
given his seniority rights was taken
care Of when the committees were Sc
lected two years ago"
The "horse Book"
More than twenty years ago Jerry
Rusk, then secretary Of agriculture,
got out a "horse book" as it was
called It treated Of the diseases of
the horse and proved to be one of the
best political books ever issued-po-
litical because it made votes for those
who sent them to their constituents
It Is believed that the 'horse book"
has assisted In electing great many
men in the past twenty years.
Strangely enough, the late Congress
man Wedemeyer, who committed sui |
eide, laid his defeat to the fact that he |
didn't send out more horse books"
"A few more horse books and would |
have overcome that 100 votes by which |
/ was defeated" he confided to SEN
ator down in Panama. 1t was brood
ing over his defeat which caused his
suicide ~ |
But Are Not Roosevelt Men.
Congressman Mondell of Wyoming
has five children and Congressman
Fitzgerald Of New York has seven
These are about the largest Of congress
sional families, but neither of the con-
gressmen is a Roosevelt man, though
ndorsing Roosevelt policy.
"My. but they can make noise
along about Christmas hme,' feelingly
remarked the Wyoming man.
"Yes, but how we miss them when
they are not around" replied Fitz.
Mine are not with me this winter and
get mighty lonesome without them"
q impeachment Farce.
The senate never should have I'M
the trial OF Judges" remark
I'd Senator McCumber. although he is
,ne Of the men who Is not very strong
or constitutional amendments 1t is
rue that the trial has been a farce
when 1t is considered that not more
han a dozen senators attended the I'm
,eachment sessions. 1t has been pur-
,osed to change the procedure and al
ow committee to hear the evidence,
,ut 1t will be long time before that
method Is adopted /,
Two Will Be Missed.
No two men will be missed more
rom the senate during the next two I
ears than Hepburn. who died, and
bailey, who resigned Hepburn would
ave been a sort of joy. as he spoke ,
lis mind on various measures. and it
you'd have been a most interesting [
hing to note how Bailey would have-l
pt along with his fellow Democrats
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