Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-10
.NEN HOUSE BOSS
Of DIFFERENT TYPE
SOUTHERN DEMOCRAT
TO BE ESTABLISHED AS
MAJORITY LEADER.
PARTY LEADER USED
TO HAVING, OWN WAY
kitchin Untried in Place He Is to As.
sumo When Congress convenes-Ut-
terly Unlike Underwood-less Diplo.
matte and Used to Having His Own
WAY.
Especial Correspondence.1

Washington, Sept. "A personality
to be reckoned with in the new con-
gress is that of the new leader of the
house, Congressman Claude kitchin,
of North Carolina.
i Mr.. Kitchin succeeds Oscar w.
Underwood as chairman of the ways
and means committee and house lead
er. He will be the most influential
+, man in the house in the new congress-
Speaker Clark is big figure in the
house but the speaker is no longer the
power he used to be when he had the
appointment of committees. The
dominance of the house is transferred
to the men composing the majority
side Of the ways and means committee
and small coterie of other leaders,
including some of the chairmen of first
class committees.
AS the head of the ways and means
committee and head of the democratic
committee on committees as we'll as
floor leader, Mr.. kitchn can not help
| being one of the captain generals of
congress when it comes to legislation.
Nothing but the progress of the ses-
kirchin is going 10 measure up 10 the
requirements of leader of the house.
1t is worth while, however. to consider
some of his characteristics and qualiti-
cations.
Even his enemies admit that as lead
er of the house democrats Mr.. Under
wood, now Senator from Alabama, was
a remarkable success. That is. few
men could have been so successful as
he in controlling the house, keeping
himself personally in favor with the
membership, keeping on good terms
with the White House, carrying thru
the measures which he decided to
support and preserving good temper
thru all the trials and tribulations
which he was called On to face. The
strong point with Underwood was his
ability to get along with men, regard
less Of differences of opinion. No
member Of the diplomatic corps ha.
the art OF suavity and urbanity down
to as fine point as Underwood.
kitchin Is Different.
Now comes Kitchin, utterly unlike
his predecessor in the leadership.
Kitchin is used to having his own way
and used to asserting his independence.
He Is a natural fighter and less used
to getting on with men thru arts of
diplomacy than by sledge hammer
methods.
1t is not to be expected that
Kitchin will go out Of his way to
placate any insurgents in the house
while he is leader Nor is there much
reason to suppose he will try to
placate anyone else. Last winter, the
postmaster general went to the capt.
toll to use his influence to line up con-
gress in certain direction. He
found Kitchin unwilling to bulge an
inch to make him any concessions or
show him any favors. In the last
congress, the White House had only to
insist on what it wanted in the way Of
legislation, and there was general
lining up of democratic members for
the legislation. Kitchin did not show
this disposition and it may be doubted
whether he will as leader.
The truth is there is much wonder
ment among those who are watching
the prospects of legislation in the next
congress whether the administration:
will be able to force what it demands
thru the house or whether 1t will be
found that it will be able to get moth
ing thru which the new leader opposes.
pnuetWooo rs iSduei VI tiie MUSE
had a good command of parliamentary
law and of the rules Kitchin is not
generally supposed to be the parlia-
mentarian that Underwood is. He has
no such command Of the rules or
parliamentary law as the republican
leader Jim Mann. Some think Mann
will keep Kitchin in continual hot wa
ter When it comes to hard knocks
and rough and tumble debating.
Kitchin can hold his own. 1t may be
expected there will be lot OF that
| sort of thing in the house this winter.