Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-24
REACTIONARIES MUST
TAKE 4 BACK SEAT
This L. the Meaning Of the Agreement on
Cillett for the Speakership Of
the Next Congress

'INit apparent agreement ol u hdlOIllN
L Of the Republican members OF the
House Of Representatives on Glllett, OF
Massachusetts. for the speakership is a
happy outcome Of the contest.
Gillett is neither a rc~actionary nor a
progressive. but a good straight Repub'
lican in sympathy with the best principles
OF Republicanism and trained by long
service in the ways Of legislation. He has
the respect of men Of all parties and the
confidence OF the men OF his own party,
II lie shall be elected Speaker. as now
seems probable. the Republican party will
be in a splendid position for wagins an
offensive campaign in 1920. The election
OF Mann. OF Illinois. would have put the
party on the defensive. II could readily
have been charged tina, it had learned
nothing since the fatal campaign OF 1912,
when the leadership Of which Mann was a
part was repudiated Overwhelmingly at
the polls. Those Republican voters who
rejected the dictionaries in 1912 could
not under such circumstances have zone
into a presidential campaign With any en-.
thusiasm.
Agreement on a man like Gillett is sign
that the two wings Of the party are coming
together and are getting in shape to agree
on a constructive program for the presiden.
tial campaign. 50 far as the Affirmative
things which they sought are concerned
the two wings were not far apart in 1912,
The split came or the issue OF tyrauuical
leadership and steam roller methods used
10 suppress the will of an undouhted
majority of the Republican voters. The
old leaders have learned that their methods
were faulty. TO say the least. They have
learned much. And the progressive Re.
publicans have also learned that if there
Is TO be Republican success there must
be a spirit OF Cancellation and liberation
for those seeking the same ends as they.
but preferring different methods.
How far this has gone will be disclosed
fully when the new Congress meets and
the Republican majority begins TO frame
legislation. There arc indications OH every
hand that the members OF the majority
Will regard themselves as Republicans
and not as factlonalists, and will unite to
apply the Republican principles TO the
solution of the national problems, SO far
as those problems are affected by party
principles. And, Of course. they will adj |
dress themselves to the nonpartisan aues.
lions in the spirit Of a b~road-minded and
informed Americanism
1t must be admitted that under the rules
now prevailing the speakership is not of
such great importance as it was in the
days Of Reed and Cannon. The Speaker
now is merely the presiding officer OF the
House and not the elected dictator OF its
procedure. The control at present rests
in the hands Of the Committee on Rules:
that is. dictation has been taken from one
man and lodged in a group Of men. But
the group OF men exercise their power
at the behest of the majority just as the
Speaker did in the old days.
The election of Mr.. Gillett will return
the speakership 10 New England after an
interim Of twenty years. Reed, OF Maine.
retired from that office in 1899 and was
succeeded by Henderson. OF Iowa; Cannon,
of Illinois. and Clark. of Missouri, Hen.
derson and Cannon were Republicans, and
Cannon and Cannonism were one Of the
reasons for the party split in 1912. The
election of Mann. OF Illinois, would have
been like the reimbursement Of Cannon
and C~annonism.
Massachusetts has not had the speaker.
ship since y. j. Banks held the office from
1855 TO 1857, and for only twcnty.three
years of the last seventy years has the
Speaker represented a State cast of Ohio
and north OF Mason and Dixon's line.
For nineteen Of these ~twenty-thrce years
the speakcrship was held by Maine and
Pennsylvania. Samuel j.. Randall pre-.
sided over the house for five years and
Galusha A, Grow for two. James G.
Blaine, OF Maine, was Speaker for six
years and Thomas b. Reed for the same
period. Indiana. Of the western and
for eleven OF the forty.seren years during
which it rested there. and Illinois and
Missouri have each had it for eight years.
Champ Clark and Joseph G. Cannon have
each held the post for that period. a record
unequaled by any other presiding officers
Of the House.
But the geographical question, while in.
teresting, is OF no importance Just now.
The Republican party Is a national party.
and its Congressman from the West and
the East are not seeking sectional adyan.
tage. but are wording toward that har.
mony which will make il possible for thes,
to carry out a program OF constructive
legislation that shall Justify the country
in the mandate which 1t gave them last
November TO correct the mistakes made by
the party in control OF legislation in recent
years.