The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-11-01
NO CRITICISM OF CONGRESS
 FR0M FLOOR
Recent Ruling By Speaker
 Provokes Comment.

 dences of absolutism and Czarism are becoming more common in Congress and from now on the Republican Con sress intends to take a bold stand in defense of it's program of dilatory partisanship. On the floor of the House and in the various investigat- ing committees evidences are multi plying each day of the determina ton of the Republican leaders to hold the reins so tightly that there shall be no room for the voicing of criti- cism reflecting on their neglect of duty.
 In the House Speaker Gillett in a recent ruling made it plain that he does not intend to allow any criti- cisIn of Congress on the floor. He has invoked again the precedent he es- tablshed earlier in the session against Champ Clark of refusing to recognize Q member who wishes unanimous con sent to bring any matter before the House unless the matter happens to meet with tEe approval of the ma jority leader and the speaker.
 The speaker defends himself by ex- p1aining that such a ruling is simply
  Der of the House. This ruling, which might be made an effective instru- nent against interference with or derly procedure has been and may in the future be used as be1aying pin to knock out any criticism of Congress under the unanimous consent privelege.
 The latest instance in which this precedent was invoked occurred this week when the author of a, number of resolutions calling on the tnvesti- gaing committee to report the results of their investigations asked the chair for unani- nous consent to address Congress n1tely recognized the member, who happened to be a Democrat, and when permission was asked to speak the member was told that he was not recognized for that purpose. The speaker, of course, knew from the character of the resolutions the mem Der has introduced that if he were given unanimous consent he would direct an attack on the inaction and layishness of the Republican Con- gress, whereupon he immediately ruled that the member had not been recognized for that purpose.
 In explaining later Speaker Gill lett observed that the member would have to consult Republican floor leader Monden if he wished to ad- dress the House with unanimous con- sent MT. Monde1l, also knowing what to expect and fearing the at tack on the vulnerable Republican record, refused point-blank to hear of the Democratic member speak ing.
 The same tactics of abso1utism are being carried out in some of the in Yestigatng committees where po1iti- cal angles have entered into the hearings. In the sub committee in vestigating war ordnance expenditures the Massachusetts gubernatorial cleo ton has been injected into the hear ings- By the mere accident of time, it would seem, from the attitude of Chairman Graham and Congressman n Jefries, the other Republican mem Der of the committee, the committee has entered upon an investigation in to the ordnance war contracts of R. H. Long, Dem ocratic candidate for governor in Massachusetts. The hear ing comes along in the heat of the campaign.
 Witnesses who indicated unfriend- liness to Long were heard, but until MT. Long himself demanded a hear ing 1t is not known that anyone sup posed to have a friendly attitude toward him had been called to testi- fly. The result naturally was that much of the testimony, which the committee had made it impossible to challenge up to the time of Long s own appearance was used by the op- position against him in his home state. With a, full knowledge of this | situation Chairman Graham had the | audacity to challenge the demand | for a. hearing from the Long camp. | On a strictly party vote the Repub- 1ican members of the committee re- ] fused at one point to admit a state ment of defense to. be included by i Long in the records of the hearings | at the outset of his testimony, saying | that it might be considered later if ! not covered by the testimony heard 1 The natural effect of this ruling vii | be to allow the Republican opponent 1 in Massachusetts to use the unchal l ienged testimony brought before the 1 committee to date a day or two long | T, resulting in a partisan advantage ]! If which the committee is fully in formed.