Evening star., 1919-04-13
OPPOSITION TO CLARK
IS MELTING RAPIDLY
administration" Denies It Is Against Selec-
ton of Former Speaker as Demo-
cratic House Leader

receive their honorary vote for Speak
er, and who, by that action. becomes
the minority floor leader. 1t has been
the invariable custom to nominate the
retiring Speaker. The caucus will also
make honorary nominations for other
House offices and will determine the
methods by which committee assign
ments are to be made. Then the fight
will come up over the appointment Of
a steering committee.
Mr.. Kitchin was asked to express his
judgment, based upon the experience
of his long leadership of the majority
on the steering committee plan. He re-
piled:
after thinking it over carefully I
am of the opinion that the steering
committee proposition will not do.
1t will create more discord. 1t will
arouse new snvies and jealousies.
There would be candidates from every
state. If A was~put in over Of
this or that section or this or that
state. and his friends would be
disappointed and disgruntled. How
many should there be? If too many
division would soon spring up within
it, If small enough to be workable
and effective. it would be too small
to represent or satisfy every section.
as every section and probably every
state would demand representation.
And then why necessity of steering
committee for a minority, except as
a committee on committees, as is the
steering committee of the Senate?
We already have a committee on COM
mittees in the membership Of the
ways and means committee. No one
is asking to take this authority from
the ways and means committee A
cannot say what legislation should or
should not be considered, as the
majority controls this absolutely, and
such is no function of the minority.
Such a committee is not necessary to
outline the policy Of the party ia the
House. This is the function of the
caucus"
x X
Democratic managers point out to
the new members that the minority
retains control
Leader Suhiect of its floor lead
to Party Caucus. It's IT.. Is 1.s @ ,.lssiys' $
policy, through the. CAUCUS. which can
be assembled at any time. II the
membership is Dissatisfied With 80
course Of the fioor leader. il can de-
pose him. since he has not. been
elected by the House for q term, but
is only the creature OF the caucus,
subject to It's will. 81.
Speaking Of the caucus brin IS up
one of the charges the .tinsurgents''
make against. Champ Clark: that he.
as titular Democratic leader. did not
have caucusss in the last corHresA
His friend1 point out that, it was the
agreement among the democrats, con-
curre1 in by the administratioih that
durthg the war Congress 1t should be
the policy to as far as possible re-
frain from giving any OF the war
Ac6ioiotiOh q pol IIicAA ShA6Cs OuC eAoS
1t should be bipartisan.
What followed was that on great
measures the republicans were con-
suited in advance. invited to particle
pate in their construction. and when
differences arose Claude Kitchin, that
past grand master of the art of con-
ciliation and compromise-andd during
my experience / have never known
his superior-exerted his pacificatory
wiles and brought outHperfected bills
for which the republicans were re-
sponsible, if you please, as well as to
be given credit for. And that re-
sponsibility does not want to be over
looked in future accounting for war
legislation.
''Wbat do the democrats propose prin-
cipally to do in the next Congress to
make life bur-
Democrats Likely den to the repub-
to Find Fault" Kitcn,n KITE 1uas ~as
asked.
'.Weu, for time we will have to
CONTINUED on Fourth Page)