Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-14
DISsEcrS SENTIMENT IN HOUSE
IN REMARKABLE
MANNER.
RAPs DOMINATION OF
HOUSE BY COMMITTEE
Domination Of Liquor interests Seen
Attic Members Opposing Resolution
Declare They Arc Favorable Towards
Temperance and Against Brewers
and DistiIlsrs-Mann in Bad Light.
Ispecia1 correspondence.l

Washington, Jan. 1.-THE National
Voters League. with headquarters
here. an organization of progressive
minded men which aims to keep tab on
members of congress and how and why
they vote, has issued remarkable
analysis of the recent vote in the house
on the prohibition amendment. 1t gives
the inside facts about this amendment
in a way which the casual reader might
no, ascertain for himself. The state
nent of the league is as follows
There were two important roll calls
on the Hobson resolution for prohioi-
ton amendment to the constitution
one related TO the proposal OF James
r. Mann, the republican leader, that
this constitutional amendment should
be submitted to conventions instead OF
state legislatures. The other was the
final vote on the Hobson amendment
These roll calls, with all other official
proceedings in the house OF representa-
tives on Dec. %. 1914, are appended
The purpose of this bulletin is 10 .ex-
plain these proceedings. Inasmuch as
the National Voters League is pre-
pairing a program OF needed construc-
tive changes in the procedure OF the
house, TO be published soon, this IN
depreciation viii be made with special
reference TO the parliamentary system
under which a few leaders have abso-
lutte sway.
Why Prohibition Was Considered.
Rarely has a vote been taken which
meant so much 10 members politically.
Never has a roll call been faced with
such general dread of consequences. A
great majority OF members hesttated
between fear OF the powerfully organ :
lied saloon influence on one side and
fear of the growing prohibition senti-
nent on the Other. But public opinion
made 1t inexpedient FOR the politicians
longer 10 evade vote Millions of cit
izens had psJitioned congress urging
the passage OF the resolution. II is
inti-nated that the liquor side also de-
sired division on the question. be-
cause these interests knew what the
result would be, and considered the
further advantage Of forcing the fe"
doubtful members to enlist openly for
or against them. This Is indicated by
the fact that those who led the oppo-
sition to the Hobs on amendment DAD
not oppose its consideration at that
time-which ii should he remembered
was not before, hut after election.
AT any rate, the leaders permitted a
record vote. i; was CHARACTERISTIC OF
the house machine that the vote should
| have come the longest possible distance
from an election. That is the first sig
niticant point.
The Majority Powerless.
"A few leaders had il in their power
TO determine whether or not there
should be vote on prohibition: fur
- n IoA Lex.
| record on that question, these few
! leaders were able TO say just when
the vote should be taken. The Hobson
amendment received majority of
votes. 1877 to lge. but the 1877 altho a
ajority of those voting. were abso-
/. lutely without power to bring the
question before the house. Parlia-
rnentary conditions are such that a
little coterie Of bosses can dictate
what the house shall or shall not con-
slider. To-day no important public
matter can be considered without first
! being given a privileged status. That
means a special rule. and a special
! rule can come only from the voluntary
action of the rules committee. The
! committee on rules is law unto
itself Tha, body Is completely su-
preme Even the jokered, perverted
| continuance known as the discharge
calendar does not apply TO the rules
! committee. When the house, at the
| beginning of this congress. readoptec
! the old rules, 1t placed itself practically
! in the hands OF the committee on rules
And the committee on rules is obvious
! ~ the instrument OF the few leaders
of the dominant machine.
| The Short Session.
1t was to be expected that the con.
sideration of a politically dangeroul
I question like prohibition should be 81
manipulated as to minimize as mucf
as possible the importance of the rec
ord thus obtained. From the poll
ticians' point of view the least dan
gerous time would be as soon as pos
sibIe after election. This not onl,
brings the record the longest possible
distance from another election. Civ
ing the public time to forget, but i
eliminates entirely from the RECORD
nearly one-third OF the members-al
Of those newly -elected--in this cas-
i 1876. An additional advantage Of hav
ing the vote taken after election lie
in the fact that the members alread.
defeated are in measure removed
from political life ard can go on rec
ord without the same apprehensionH
These reasons undoubtedly sugges
why the leaders did not permit a secor'
vote in the long session, before tn
elections, and did bring the prohibition
question before the house in the shor
session, after the new house had beel
elected Such situations will Away
. arise SO long as the american p1opi
. submit to the absurd practice of elect
ing q congress in November and no
having 1t meet in regular session unit
December OF the following year. Oni
professional politicians benefit by tn
. present arrangement. Obviously tn
regular sessions OF the house shout
begin soon after its members hav
been chosen and end before the mex
> house has been elected. That would
away with the short session ''afte
: election" The short session Is ofte
D described as the "don't care a dam
. session, that suggestion Of careless II
/. ! responsibility having reference to til
. facts that newly-e1eoted members hay
3 not been seated. that tho defeate
snasnbers have naturally lost fnteres
land that even those reelected arc NJ
! 20 keenly responsive to public sent
: tmspt because thsy know that 'puOt
a inAsrest will BE- .csnAssed more IN Il
= nsw congress than IA th1s seu5uant I