Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-04


CONGRESS has just had an interesting
~ lesson in the art OF insurgency. for in
surgcncy in politics and craftsmanship has
come to be something of a fine art. The
two instructors most conspicuous on this
occasion were the Representative from
Massachusetts, Mr. Gardper, who is fore
most advocate OF war, which calls for or
ganization, and Miss jeanette Rankin, the
new member of Congress from Montana,
who has come to Washington as the first
congressional member with a strong pro-
pensity for woman suffrage. Mr.. Gardner
held up the Republican caucus for more
than an hour and quarter. insisting that
lie would not be bound by It's action, while
Miss Rankin, who was not at the confer.
ence, declared that as she was elected on
the Republican ticket" she would "abide
by the action of the Republican caucus"
The difference between the two was this
that the gentleman from Massachusetts
proclaimed his unwllingness to go along
with the Republican organization, though
II presaged defeat of the army to which
he was attached. while the lady from Mon.
toho' NhOb ilho many WOlileils IL supposed
to be unable to understand contract,
stood up 'manfully" to the organization
which had given her it's support The
'lesson" taught by Miss Rankin, concerning
whose views and whose usefulness in Con-
gresS there has been SO much doubt, was
not without meaning to the vast body of
regular Republicans who have been hesi-
tating about woman suffrage. 1t was a
lesson in stability and in adherence to fixed
DrinpiDl0S which Immediate obar
and standing to the lady from Montana.
House Insurgency Not New
Insurgency is not new in the House of
Representatives nor in the Senate Nor
did insurgency begin with the so-called
Cannon regime. 1t is as old as time itself
Its advocates in and out of Washington
insist upon free speech, & free press and
| the right of individual expression no mat
ter whether monkey-wrench is thrown into
! the machinery of progress and discipline or
not.
The American Revolution was the
| first great insurgent movement in the
| United States 1t was a very commendable
| and patriotic movement and has not been
| seriously questioned by any real American
| patriot down to the present day The In
| dependence Hall meeting of Saturday last,
| with so conspicuous an insurgent as Hiram
johnson, of California, proclaimng for the
|
| nesses that fact. But there are a great
many insurgents in local as we'll as in
| State bodies who mistake their own cause
| for the Revolution or other great movements
| of secondary Importance. The overthrow OF
the Cannon rules was legislative reyolu-
| ton.
The men who participated in It have
since striven for power on their own ac-
| count. Some Of them In the Senate and
in the House have become as strong adyo.
| Gates of closure rule previous-question mo.
tions which shut off debate and other arbi.
trary measures as the followers Of Reed
and Cannon ever dared to be- II this II
the kind of reform tho people want, they
are getting 1t in copious doses. particularly
| when debate upon war questions involving
the lives and liberties of the people il linn.
tied to a few hours or when so important
a problem as prohibition, the honest en-
forcement of which would deprive the Gov
ernment of more than one-third of It,
normal revenues, may be passed under 9
rule limiting debate to thirty minutes OF
the propriety of the rule, with no discus
sion Of the merits whatever. Old-timers IL
Congress have been watching the curves
of the quondam defenders OF the right 81
free speech with more than ordinary in
terest. even unto the last OF them. the dis
tinguiehed Senator from Wisconsin, who's,
4 fegle - = dppust>r hae peen widely pro