Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-30
CAUCUS ANOTHER
CANNON METHOD.
Why Liberty-LOying Congress
Members Revolt Against
"Crutch of MediOCrity."
MANNER, NOT MEASURE,
IS HITCHCOCK'S AVERSION
DisIikes Being Driven and
Gagged, Even Though Des-
potism Is Benevolent.
Star Bureau,
METROPOLITAN National Bank BLDG
WASHINGTON. Aug. 80

MANY Democratic senators and rep
resentatives who are not themselves
SO fearless and outspdlken agreed
with Senator Hitchcock, of Nebraska,
when on the floor of the Senate yes
terday he deplored the tendency of
his own party and of the President
to inject craftsmanship into all legls-
lation and to invoke caucus rule to
pass important legislation.
1t isn't so much objection to the
passage of legislation, or to the ma
ture of the legislation framed for
passage. as to the gaggfng and bind
ing of the freedom of Legislators, that
Is causing revolt among members OF
the majority.
The big difference between the
oligarchical form of government with
which Aldrich and Cannon ruled and
the Democratic caucus rule Of the
present regime is that the Republi-
cans used their machine to prevent or
hobble legislation. The Democrats
are using the caucus to- pass legisla-
ton.
Caucus Rule Being Enforced.
The caucus rule was invoked on the
tariff bill to hold the majority party
together and to force the adoption
of lower rates and q more extended
free list than might possibly have
been otherwise obtained. On the cur
rency and banking bill caucus rule
ia being enforced to prevent some
Democrats from jumping over the
fence and voting with the Progress
siyes and Republicans to make
more radical bill than the administra-
ton wants passed at this time.
In principle, however, both the
Aldrich- Cannon system and the pres
ent caucus rule work to the same end
of garroting all individuality and in
dependence, depriving the legislative
branch of the government of Its right
and prerogatfye to frame legislation
and throttling freedom of debate and
elaboration.
For many years the Republican ma
jority in Congress was a personal
machine dominated by two men. They
did not rule through caucus. The Re
publicans held few, if any, caucuses
on legislation. Cannon ruled the
House through his control of com
mittees and the rules. He was the
rules. and he and his lieutenants held
together their party by the power OF
reward and punishment
Cannon Had No Need of Caucuses.
In the Senate Republican senator's
generally represented the same view
Of the holy rights of wealth and
special privilege, and there was no
need for caucuses. The program and
purpose of the leaders was merely
to prevent any and all legislation
other than the passage of approprla-
ton bills.
In those days the Democratic min
ority WIS small, its numbers made
up mostly of Southern members diff
s>Hrine little in temperament and con-
,vatism of view from the Republic
ms. and the Democratic leadership
was sometimes supine, sometimes
stupid and sometimes brilliant, but
always merely negative. SO neither
the majority nor minority framed
anything constructive. The majority
proposed merely spending more ana
more of the peoples money. mainly
for armies and navies, and the min
GRITTY contented itself almost wholly
with attacking. deploring and opno
Ing the extravagant expenditures or
the majority and It's raids upon the
treasury, while in committee rooms
they agreed upon division of the
patronage and plumber.
And the House Was Free.
Then came the Republican in
Hurgent movement and the overthrow
of Cannonism, and the House was
free. It framed its own rules. made
its own committees, and the machine
had lost It's power. Tafts efforts to
dictate legislation from the White
House, declaring himself the RESPONSE
BILE titular leader of his party. and
giving or Withholding patronage as
reward or punishment for the sub
mission or revolt of congressman,
merely added bitterness and deter
mination to the insurgent movement
and forced the destruction of his
party.
With the accession of Democrats to
power in the House the caucus rule
began and the minority became a
wholly negligible quantity so far as
legislation is concerned
Driving with whip and spur, Presi-
dent Wilson has demanded caucus
action, not only on the tariff, which
may be fairly considered more or
less d partisan question. but as well
on the, currency bill. into which no
question of craftsmanship enters.
Fears Democratic Opposition.
The President is supporting and
encouraging caucus rule, not because
he fears defeat of good legislation by
the present minority, but because he
is afraid of the opposition to his
views from members of his own
party If they are left free to speak
and vote their own opinions and con-
victions on the floor of the House
and Senate.
That this is so was clearly shown
last year, when the Democrats and
Progressves in the Senate Joined in
passing tariff legislation almost iden-
teal with that now being framed,
while only q handful of the old reac-
tionary Republican group of senators
opposed the views of the allies. There
is no serious, organized opposition in
either house of Congress among the
minority to progressive legislation.
Most of the Progressives In both
houses are as closely in accord with
the views of the President on meri-
torious reforms as are a majority
of the members of his own party.
The caucus steam roller is being used,
not to save good legislation from de-
feat at the hands of the minority. but
to bind the entire majority to the
doing of the will of the organization
headed by the President.
So far the caucus rule has held
It has been agreed to by senators and