The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-03-20
PACKERS TO
HAVE CONTROL

MANN AND HIS FOLLOWERS
SUCCESSFULLY WORK CLEv-
Err TRICK
Although beaten for speaker of the
next house of representatives, Repre-
sentative Jim Mann of Illinois, friend
Of the packers, by a parliamentary
trick has assured himself of the DO
sition of boss of the lower house Of
the next congress. Representative Mon
dell of Wyoming, standpatter, has
been elected majority leader.
Under trick rule proposed by
Mann and his henchmen, Republican
representatives at the Republican
caucus voted by state delegations.
With the big solidly Republican states
like Pennsylvania, New York and
others, casting their votes with him,
Mann was able to dictate that the
old seniority rule in the selection Of
chairmen of committees shall prevail.
This will mean that standpatters,
who have been in congress SO long
that they have completely lost touch
with the people, will frame all the
important legislation that will come
before the next congress.
Mann, it is remembered, is the
member of congress who was given
a big steak on one occasion by the
packers, on account of his friendli-
ness, and on another occasion was
given horse.
He was also criticized, when the
United States entered the European
war, for voting for the McLemore
resolution and for declaring, after the
Lusitania was sunk by German sub
marine, that the men, women, and
children who met death were 10y
riders on the Lusitania.
Other congressman who had made
statements in regard to the war much
less critical than Mr.. Mann's were in
vestigated by the National Security
league and branded as "disloyal."
Senator La Toilette, whose opposition
to war never went beyond Mr.. Mann's,
was investigated by Senate commit
tee. The senate, however, found it
couldn't do anything with La Toilette
without putting Mann in the same
class. aisaas7,,4&s W. .....,,:.,
But the National Security league
failed to find anything disloyal in Mr.:
Mann's attitude on the war, it seems.
And of course his close alliance with
the packers was not in the least un-
patriotic. va.
Mann Men Rewarded >
Several of the Minnesota members
of congress, who held up their hands
in holy horror at Senator La Follette's
utterances, voted for Mann for speak
er of the next house. Although Mann
won't be speaker, his friends are IN
charge Of distributing committee
places. Accordingly the men who
voted for Mann for speaker are 70
get the preference when it comes TO
committee appointments. ~:
Representative Volstead OF Mime
sofa, who voted for Mann, gets the
chairmanship Of the important judi
ciarv committee as his reward. Rep
resentative Steenerson, another mann
supporter, is to be chairman OF the
postoffices committee. Ellsworth, VINO
switched to a third speakership can
didate at the behest Of the Mann
forces. goes on the interstate com
merce committee. Knutson OF MIN
nesota, who voted for Mann, also IL
made Republican whip.
Altogether the boys are pretty wen
taken care Of.
There is just bare possibility that
this distribution Of all the importans
committee craftsmanship to tried ana
true standpatters may be broken up.
The committee assignments, deoer-
mined upon by the committee on COM
mittees, are yet to be approved Dy tne
Republican caucus.
Representative Nick Longworth.
Alice Roosevelt's husband, is leader
in the fight against seniority rule.
No one ever accused Longworth o.
being a progressive, but the facts are
that he is not taken care OF, under
the rule, as well as he thinks that he
deserves. Accordingly Longwortn
for the time being, is an inurgent.
He promises to carry his fight TO tne
Republican caucus when it convenes
lust before the next session OF con-
gress is called.
League Men Stick
The three North Dakota congress-
men, elected by Nonpartisan league
farmers, will join in. the fight against
seniority rule. Representative George
M. Young, who has the longest serv-
ice Of the League congressman, 2 2
member of the COMMITTEES on commit
tees. He has also won place o. tne
important ways and means commit
tee. But Young has BY no means
been bought OF BY the old tory crowd.
He ID merely waiting : chance to show
His stand on the seniority rule quss-.
tn Representative Baer and Rspfs-