Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-02-14
SENATE AND HOUSE RULES
TO BE MORE FREE.
By Smell Smith.

being rapidly completed by republic
can leaders In both the senate and
house for making the control of those
bodies In the new congress less CEN
tralized than under democratic rule
and more amenable to the influence
OF the general membership and Of
public opinion. |
In the conservative senate, which |
from time immemorial has followed
tradition, a mild revolution has just
been brought about In a twinkling by
the very youngest in point of service
OF the solons there and with the grud-
ging approval of the older heads. In
this the lead has been taken by Sena-
tors George Moses, of New Hamp-
shire, and Fred Hale of Maine, both
reared in a school of politics which In
the past has been termed almost re-
dictionary, the former a protege of the
late Jacob H. Gallinger and the latter
a son OF the late Eugene Hale.
Senator Norris OF Nebraska, intro
duced a bill in the early part of the
present session to do away with what
he designated as the 1nterlocking
committeeships among the senators.
Under this system members who have
served for many years have been able
to keep within their command the en-
tire course of important legislation.
One old and influential democratic
senator is chairman OF one OF the big
committees and at the same time is
second in rank on three others, so
that he not only is the most potent
force in shaping bills which pass
through his own committee but is as
well a conferee in others on bills to
be considered for the elimination of
differences in conference, This strict
application of the seniority principle
has made it possible for a few men to
run the senate end of the capitol.
Moses therefore worked out the
scheme and Hale presented it in the
meeting of the republican senator's
that each senator shall hereafter have
membership on two of the major
committees, OF which there are ten.
These are agriculture, appropriations,
commerce. finance, interstate COM
merce, foreign relations. Judiciary,
military affairs, naval affairs, and
post office and post roads. In addi-
ton each senator is to have three
other places, five in all. Each of the
older senators will have a prominent
committee Craftsmanship, but will not
be allowed to serve as a conferee on
any other committee. Lenroot of
Wisconsin; Smoot of Utah; Norris of
Nebraska; Cummins of Iowa; Har-
ding of Ohio; Knox of Pennsylvania
and Hale of Maine have been named
to put the plan into full effect before
the beginning of the special session.
Prevents Corner ON Plums.
AS the result of this 1t is thought
it win not be possible for 1t to be said
that the republican party in it's return
to power is to be held under the di-
rection in the senate of few men
well on in years, who hail from any
particular section OF the country. II
is asserted by Moses and Hale that
one of the principal causes of the de
feat of the democrats at the last cleo
tion was the oligarchic cornering by
the Southern hog combine" of com
mittee chairmanships which enabled
1t to discriminate against wheat and
in favor of cotton and to deluge the
South with appropriations for militia.
ry environments and munition plants
In the house, too, the republicans
are preparing to do away with THU
domination of the South, and to make
the speaker a Iessened force in the
making of laws. The great fight ovei
the Reed rules in the insurgency day.
under uncle Joe" Cannon brought
about the selection of a committee OF
committees which took from the spea
ker the controlling influence in nam
ing the membership of all commit
tees and therefore in largely detrmin
ing the character of the bills to b,
suppressed by or reported favorabl,
out of them. While Uncle Joe" il
now regarded as having made an ex
cellent speaker. and while he wa
subject to removal az any time by
majority in the house. there is no ten
dency on the part of the republican
to go back to the old way of doint
things.
Speaker Clark and the democrats
with the South in control, have shap
ed legislation with view to thei
own interests quite as much through
the small number of men on the com
mittee on committees to as great al
extent and therefore, is urged b,
the republicans as much to the detri
ment OF the country. as they nigh
have done had the speaker the full