The Washington times., 1915-02-18
First Speech in House,
Nearly GotHim in'Pen'
New Floor Leader a StickIer for
Maintaining the Dignity Of
Congress.
BY EDWARD L. CONN.

CONGRESS Is a coordinate. not q sub
ordinate. branch Of the Government. |
and to have the respect Of other depart.
inon,s we must have self-respect. The
only way to have harmony In the Gov
ernment Is for every department Of 1t 10
have respect for the others
In words to that effect Claude Kitchin
indicated to his associates and incident.
ally to the President that he would seek
to maintain in the House during his
leadership a complete independence,
| though he let 1t be known that he
would, Of course cooperate heartily III .
the fulhllment of all party promises.
While having differed with the Prcs'-
dent Oh iinportant issues. the next floor
leader of the House still Ia loyal 10 Mr..
Wilson; but he will vote hts own con-
victions I'm anything involving a prin-
ciple. no matter II the President Is on
| the other side.
Mr., Kitchin was one Of the active
organizers OF the House when the Dem.
ocrats gained control Of It In 1910. Ihey
had pledged themselves to the people
| to take the power Of appointing com
mittees out Of the hands OF the sreaker
but when Congress convened there were
| some Democrats who wanted TO vioiate
| that promise in the interest OF CHAMP
| clark. Mr.. Eitchin led the hght 10
keep the faith, to reor.anlIe ths sys,
u
! Cannonism under whatever name
/ might masquerade. and restoring the
| powcr to the House. but-and VS. hle
but" as caucus proposition. Inc please
| was redeemed, and the new system put
In operation. whereby the Ways ana
Means Committee nominates to the
| Democratic caucus for ratification or re-
lection. and those nominees are then
put before the House for election.
Chairman Made Powerful.
| The new system makes the Ways and
Means chairman one Of the most power.
ful men in the Government. His inhu-
ence cclipses that Of the Speaker be-
yond comparison. His not only Is the
biggest committee. dealing with all
| kinds Of revenues. but In reality IL ex-
aotIy what its name implies. for II pro-
vides the ways and means for carrying
on the Government. The chairman by
precedent which has prevailed ever
since the civil war and possibly before.
| is cN-ofticio majority leader. or hoor
leader. as the distinction is more "a
milarly known. He is the leader OF his
party in all its policies and legislation.
| Under the system put into operation
by the Democrats the Ways and Means
chairman IS leader OF the party be-
cause his committee is also the Com
mittce on Committees. or the steering
committee of the House Under the
| Democratic system the Ways and Means
! Committee has the same power Of ap-
/ pointment Of committees and arrange
ments that the Speaker formerly had.
Mr. Kitchen win have a more diff
fcrlt ioh than his predecessor the
present floor leader. Oscar Underwood.
! has had. Mr. Underwood had to deal
with the greatest issues between the
| parties, and these held the Democrats
| together. notw outstanding the fact
| that tire Democratic majority any
| way was so great that the loss OF
ffty votes would have made little
| difference in the result. Now the big
| issues are out of the way. and. he
hides, the Democratic majority has
| heen so reduced that small defectiOns
| will be n serious matter.
Other Large Differences.
There are other large differences, too.
Mr.. Underwood was not a great Or
ganizer while Mr. Kitchin is. The
new leader will keep in the closest
touch with "the boys" and they will
feel perfectly free TO go t" him and
tell him their troubles. Then
there will re more fight more
Of militant spirit among tho
Democrats in the House under
Underwood has patience, persistence.
and nerve. and is the peer of any
logician in Congress. II is said that
he lacKs the elan. the power Of pas.
liberal measure.
In RED Shirt Campaign"
Mr.. kitchin took a lively part in the
famous campaign of 1898 in North Caro-
lima, best known the Red Shirt"
campaign, when the Democrats swept
out the Republicans and Fusionists.
Mr.. kitchin never wore red shirt.
but his participation In the fight was
| such that II won for him In 1900 the
nomination and election to Congress.
his first political Office. He has been
| elected by reclamation to every Con-
gress since. no man ever having an
| nounced against him.
Mr.. Kitchin took his seat in Con-
gress in December. 1901, but never rose
to his feet to make speech until
| April 1904. after more than three years
of membership. His first speech Was on
| Theodore Roosevelt. 1t both surprised
the House and won Mr.. kitchin many
| admirers. displaying as It did remark
able pow ers. 1t was used in the DEM
ocratic national campaign text book.
over million copies of extracts from
it having been sent out all over the coun-
try. and it nearty got Mr.. kitcHir
in the 'pen"-it did cause another man
to be sent to prison. But that tale
later. Mr.. Kitchin has made many
speeches in Congress that attracted the
attention OF the country. Several were
on the tariff, he being the leading
spokesman on the Democratic side dur