The Washington herald., 1914-01-18
SPOILSMEN Aid
s25,OOO,OOO raid
Would Tack the Good Roads
Measure to P. O., Ap-
preparation Bill.
SPECIAL RULE Is ASKED
Opposition of White House May Be
Taken Into Consideration by Com
mittee Before Making Report.
SPECIAL RULE Is ASKED
by JOSEPH r. ANNIN.


A move whereby Democratic spoilsmen
from the South hope 10 buy the votes OF
the Western Democrats with E5,oooooo
worth of good roads pork" annually
was unearthed In the House OF Repre-
sentatives yesterday.
Many Southern Democrats openly, and
great number from other parts covertly'
desire to open up the civil service walls
and obtain about 2.eoo patronage jobs by
exempting assistant postmasters from
the civil service. This provision IL con-
tained in the postoffice appropriation bill,
which the House now is debating. Know
ing that this and several other pro-
visions In the postohce appropriation bill
clearly are contrary to the rules Of the
House against legislation on appropria-
ton bills, Chairman Moon. of the Post
Office Committee, Thursday combined all
the new legislation in a special rule,
exempting these sections of the bill from
points or order. This rule he asked the
Rules Committee to report out.
Friday Mr.. Moon became worried by
the growing strength of the administra-
tion opposition to the spoils rider. He
introduced another rule, identical with
the first, except that II contained this
provision:
Second, On page 25, at the end Of line
& as amendments, the provisions of Il. r.
1855, a bill to provide that the United
States shall, in certain cases, AID the
States and the civil subdivisions thereon
in the construction and maintenance OF
rural posi- roads"
Is shacLleford Bill.
This is the Shackleford roads DILL
which authorizes an annual appropria-
tion of SIS. 100000 to be expended on a
policy which never has been passed upon
by the Roads Committee and only part
of which ever has been debated IN the
House.
The rule proposed by Chairman Moon
has to pass through several stages. First
IL must receive a favorable report from
the Rules Committee, before it can go
to the House. Then, before 1t becomes
effective, it must be adopted by the
House.
OF course. the Shackleford bill was not
considered by the Postoffice committee,
which has no Jurisdiction over ROADS
Neither was it considered by the ROADS
Committee, of which Mr.. Shackleford Is
chairman. The Roads Committee even
now is divided into subcommittee seek
ing to determine upon wise policy.
But anything carrying a SzoVp,W
pork appropriation will be popular
with the good roads advocates in the
Middle. Central and far Western states,
SO the present is seized upon as golden
opportunity to commit two legislative
crimes with one bill.
When the Rules Committee reports out
the Moon ruIe-as it undoubtedly-will, In
one form or another-the members OF the
House will have to vote on the rule as
unit If they vote against the RUE
because of one provision in it, they must
vote against the entire rule That Is
where the ShackIeford rider comes In.
tRn
in pork" they will vote to uphold the
civil service steal
Hope for Double Strength.
Furthermore. the reactionaries hope to
recruit double strength in their tussie
with the White House from the injection
Of the good roads project. The combina-
ton of the spoilsmen and pork hungry
roads advocates may give the House
strength enough to overcome the veto'
anticipating which event the White House
may take a different misunderstanding
to the mental processes of some of those
gentlemen If, on the other hand, the
spoilsmen still feel weak, they may hope
to trade with the White House, giving
way on the civil service contention and
retaining the good roads steal.
The Rules Committee yesterday sat for
some time in consideration of the Moon
was taken. As matter of fact. the
Democratic members agreed tacitly on
these propositions:
That the Shackleford provision should
stay in the rule.
That the committee had. the power to
amend the rule in whatever way it &C.
sired; if necessary, to rewrite the rule
and provide substitutes for the lesisla-
tive riders sought to be protected
1t was not given cut why no final action
was decided upon. 1t is not unfair 20
assume, however, that the White House
will be considered rather more fully in
detail before the committee finally de-
termines upon the rule 1t will report out.
Final action is expected to be taken
Tuesday. the intervening days giving
President Wilson an opportunity to
strengthen the backbone Of the party.
Daring Attempt at Raid.
The Shackleford rider. which will go
through the House with a whoop il pro-
tected by a special rule OF order, repre-
sents the most daring attempt to raid
the public treasury attempted in years.