The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-02-27
Voters, League.

back to the people. It is to meet de-
mocracy's most urgent need. This is
brief extract from Bulletin Number
One, published in Washington City,
and another is that it is futile to at
tempt to obtain reforms through re-
luctant Legislators and unavoidable legls-
latiye machinery, and the most poten-
tial point brought out in its statements
is that while party lines are vanishing
among the voters Congress has been
cementing the lines, and that the party
caucus is used to pass on all legislation,
and all legislation must perforce become
partisan measures. 1t is thus, the Vot-
ers' League claims, that those who re-
fuse the caucus are practically disfran-
cbised and are shorn of influence in
Congress.
On a resolution offered by Mr.. Shack
elford, OF Missouri, that the caucus shall
be open to the press, to the President,
to the Senators and the Cabinet officers,
and that the President, the Senators and
the Cabinet officers may occupy seats
upon the floor, and amended by Mr..
Carlin, OF Virginia, to include the pub
lie, a vote to table by Mr.. Thomas, OF
Kentucky, all resolutions and motions
was carried by vote OF .167 to "a, and
thus the attempt to secure an open eau
Gus was defeated. Sims, OF Tennessee,
voted for the open caucus, and there is
not man in Congress in better accord
with the interests of the people OF all
classes.
The officers OF the Voters League in
clude some well known persons in posi-
ton and character, to-wit: Frederick G.
Howe New York; Charles G. Merriam,
the Chicago publisher; Herbert S. Bige-
low, Cincinnati; William s. Uren, Ore
gon; Miss Ida NJ. Tarbell, New York.
Here are some additional extracts:
TOO MANY MEMBERS
Minority rule, through parliament
airy bossism, is to be expected with the
House OF Representatives of such I'M
wieldy, unavoidable size as at present.
Just as the caucus is only manifesto
ton OF evils vastly bigger than itself,
so is the domination OF the House by
one man, or one clique, the logical re-
suit OF membership so large that
equality and democratic action are prac-
tically impossible.
THE RULE OF SENIORITY.
"An unwritten law multiplies the
powers OF old members. The longer
member remains in Congress, the bet
ter and more secure is his place in the
organization. The bad influence OF this
custom can hardly be over-emphasized.
The enervating political atmosphere OF
the capital, the conservatism that nat
urally grows with age, the increased
knowledge of how to manipulate par
liamentary machinery, together with
the increased skill that comes OF prac-
tice, all add to the inequalities in the
equation between old and new members.
ION the other hand, the fresher
member may come from the people,
the smaller is the opportunity given
him to execute the orders OF his con-
stituents. The kind and quality OF
legislation is determined by the man
ner in which Congress is organized;
and new members are completely ex-
cluded, not theoretically but practically, |
from all participation in the naming of
committees and the writing of the rules.
PARTYIsM.
''There has never been time when
the rank and file were so independent
and cared SO little for party ties; yet
Congress has in no previous period been
so swayed by partisanship. Partyism is
rampant. Out OF this condition has
grown: % the caucus, with all its relat- |
ed evils OF secrecy, Acknowledgement,
minority rule, and wholesale obstrue-
ton; and % "a hopeless diversion OF pro-
eressiye strength into purely artificial
groups. Partisanship operates to keep
those members progressively inclined
apart by combining them in separate
party pastures.
THE SENATE DIFFERENT.
The foregoing observations apply
generally to the House of Representa-
tiyes. It is that part OF Congress to
which the people must pay greatest
attention in the next decade. Many OF
the parliamentary evils that prevail IN
the House hardly exist in the Senate.
This difference is due chiefly to three
facts: Cd the membership OF the Sen
ate is only ninety-six-a workable num-
Der; (2) the details OF legislation can be
forced into the open, there being no
dark places where roll calls can be
avoided as is done in the House; and
(S) there is more freedom OF debate in
the Senate"
The Commercial Appeal and News
Sc;,,itar have taken over all the room