The Caucasian., 1913-07-22
SECRET CONF ABS
STILL POPULAR
Democrats Follow Precedent
Behind Closed Doors.
OPEN DISCUSSION FAVORED.

OPEN DISCUSSION FAVORED.
Senator Owen Making No Headway In
His Campaign For cioture-WiIson
Was Willing That Bryan Should Go
ring-Representative Erdman's
Labor Act Lasting Monument.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington. July %. = LSpecial.] =
The benefits of open discussion and
consideration of important public ques-
tons must be conceded in the light Of
all that has transpired since the Sixty
session. The Democrats III this CON
gress have been following the same
course pursued by all parties. They
have held secret party conferences.
They have considered the tariff and
the currency behind closed doors and
by so doing have been deprived Ut the
advantage which public discussion
gives to such questiens.
In adjustment of tariff rates and
currency problems the reasons for
changes of rates and adjustment OF
financial questions would be better
understood if made public at the time
Senator Root when secretary Of war
once said that public discussion OF all
o,,ne,t3.,r,, II, tho noxu0r,unorc woS of
great advantage to officials, for 1t Of.
ten showed them the way they should
not 60 The same would prove true iii
legislation.
The Rule Of Party.
The rule of party makes secret con-
ferences necessary 1t was claimed
many times that the Republicans made
their tariffs in secret 50 thut 1t could
be explained to the men who made
the rates just whom it was necessary
to reward for campaign contributions.
It has been claimed that the Demo
Gratis have to work In secret In order
to adjust schedules SO as to get votes
enough to pass their tariff bill.
But neither of these excuses apply to
the currency. The fact Is that men
make these bills in secret because
they want party credit for the legisla-
tion they enact
No CIoture In the Senate.
4 Like all others who have attempted
to secure cloture in the senate Senator
Owen of Oklahoma can make no head
way. He finds himself almost alone in
support Of his own proposition. The
fact has SO often been demonstrated
that determined majority in the sen
ate can pass any measure 1t wants to
pass that there Is no real necessity Of
closing debate
4 Bills which are flibustered to death
and bills which need cloture are those
for which d majority would vote re
luctantly ii they ever came to vote.
There are many measures for which
there is a popular clamor and which
have little support outside Of few
men. but which would pass II they
came to vote because voting against
them would mean loss Of political pop
ufarity.
Wilson Was Willing.
The political theorists aver that
President Wilson was perfectly willing
that Secretary Bryan should go n-lec
turing about the country. These theo-
|rists suspected that the president Gun
Iget along very we'll with his admins
Itration without having Mr.. Bryan at
his elbow. Then again 1t Is intinatt:d
that if the people do not like the idea
lof the secretary lecturing they will not
blame the president. %
Jacob Constantine Erdman.
! Jacob Constantine Erdman served
two terms In the house Of represents
|tives. the FIFTY third and Fiftyfourth
congresses He was All obscure mem
Der, but be left an important act upon
the statute booAI The Erdman act.
under which many labor disputes have
been settled, seems destined to be one
OF the best pieces Of legislation that
has been enacted In many decades
Where be the tariff or currency bills.
the Sherman acts, either for silver OF
trusts. that have accomplished 50 much
real good?
There Is very little known about the
man. He was born III Pennsylvania
In 1916 and died In 1911. He was a
lawyer, q Democrat IN politics. m
tive Of Center Valley and later resi-
dent OF Allentown. He may not have
done anything else, but he certainly
erected monument to himself IL the
Erdman act.
Curious Crowds.
Day after day curious crowds 60 to
the lobby hearing Although new
faces are occasionally seen. for the
most part the same men and women
attend every session and seem to be
yitally Interested in the proceedings.
There are 4 lot Of queer people In the
world. and Washington always has Z
full share OF them.
'sshack'sp Big Job.
{ Congressman ShackIeford, having