The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-20
Revenue the Only Difficulty.

Speaker Clark conferred with the President
yesterday and no doubt assured him that the Dem
oeratic House will be able to enact the necessary
the opposition of Representative Claude Kitchin.
The Speaker and other Democratic leaders, in
GLIDING Mr.. Kitchin and Mr.. Bryan, have con-
tended for years that the House should always be
able to act whenever majority so willed and
the declared purpose of the revolution in the
House FIVE years ago, led by Mr. Clark minority
leader and assisted by Representative Gardner as
chief insurgent, was to take from the Speaker the
power to suppress the will of the majority. Mr..
Clark contended that the new rules, providing for
the appointment of committees by the House in
stead of giving the Speaker that power, would
cure all the old ills of legislation and enable a
majority, made up from both sides of the House.
to work its WILL
What has come over the spirit of Democratic
dreams regarding majority rule that Claude
Kitchin should be able to disturb the equaniInity
of President Wilson and Speaker Clarkf Mr..
Kitchin is an able man. but he is only one of ass
Representatives, and he too has shown how in
significant one man should be in the House, what
ever position he held there. He ridieuled the
idea that Speaker Cannon and the floor leader
Mr. Payne should be able to boss even lead
43s independent Representatives of the people.
Mr.. Bryan's voice was then added to the Demo-
cratic and insurgent chorus in favor of the de-
thronement of the Speaker boss and the rule
of the people.
The only embarrassment Mr.. Kitchin pos
sbly give to the President and the Speaker will
be as chairman of the Committee on Ways and
Means, and that embarrassment will depend upon
his personal influence with the members in refer
to revenue bill to meet the cost of prepared
ness. A majority of the committee can, however,
report bill regardless of the wishes of Chairman
Kitchin With Mr.. Gardner, of Massachusetts,
ready to join Representative Garner, of Texas, in
providing revenue, there is occasion for
any worry about what Mr.. Kitchin can do. The
Democratic doctrine is that majority of the
committee however made up, report bill.
But even should Mr.. Kitchin be able to enlist
the support of majority in committee that will
refuse to report a revenue bill, there is that other
old Democratic doctrine that it is proper to dis
charge committee from further consideration Of
a bill which the majority of the House desires
to consider. The Speaker, any other member
by the Speaker can move at any time
to discharge the committee from further con-
sideration of the bill and bring it into the House
If the Democratic rules of the House are what
heir author said they were, there will be no
rouble about handling Mr.. Kitchin in his insur-
yency. The real trouble will be in agreeing upon
revenue bill that will produce revenue and at
he time keep within the scope of Demo-
ratio tariff teachings. If President Wilson and
Speaker Clark will only burn their old tariff
speeches, forget that they were ever made and
ace the condition which confronts them regard
ess of theories, it will go long way to clearing
he atmosphere which has been clouded by the
of Mr.. Kitchin. Will the President
md the Speaker forget the past and face the
uture with clear minds and clear slate? That's
IL that's necessary.