The sun., 1919-03-07
LONGWORTH SCORES
NEW 'CANNONISM'
Attacks Selection of Commit
tee Heads by Rule of
Seniority.
SAYS FITNESS rs IGNORED
His Statement Regarded as
Keynote for Fight in Re-
publican Caucus.
SAYS FITNESS rs IGNORED
Special Despo.ch 10 TEE sry.

ppct'ut DerputC" ~ ihh StSs
WARRINGTON. March EN- a state
ment made public late to-day Repre-
tentative Longworth (ohio), member OF
tho Committee on Committees OF the
Republican conference, declared that the
committee had accepted and perpetuated
by the exceptional form of its application
OF the seniority rule the very worst
feature of "Cannonisn" in the selectivu
Of chairman and members of Republl'
can majorities on the standing commit
tees Of the next Congress-
lie pointed out that while Cannon az.
hered generally TO seniority preference
In selecting chairmen he reserved the
right to make exceptions when either
tho peculiar unfitness of the seniority
candidate or the necessity for building
particularly strong committee de.
manded. The action of the Mann major
ity on the Committee on Committees
Mr.. Longworth pointed out, prccludes
such exceptions.
Keynote Ctterance.
The Longworth statement is accepted
as keynote uttersnce for whatever
!, to resist in the next Republican caucus
certain features OF the slate which will
be presented by the Committee on Com.
mttees for ratification.
Tho committee to-day, after agreeing
to complete the organization OF ali
standing committees OF the next House
before final adjournment, settled tho
chairmanships for virtually all i'm
portant committees. The work will h,
continued tomorrow. No exceptions &c
the rule OF seniority have been or will
, be made except In Individual cases al
, the request OF the members who prof,
most by the rule but who desire transfer
to other committee assignments.
The Longworth statement in part fol
lows:
We have made extraordinary prog
ress, but has It been in the right
direction? ! am afraid not. To my
mind our progress has been backward
to the days OF so-called Cannonism.
and then some
Speaker Cannon was an expo
nent of the seniority rule. but he
justified II by frequent exceptions in
the interest OF efficiency. He never
appointed chairmen of important
committees whom he believed TO be
obviously UNFIT. When II seemed adj
visable to strengthen a committee he
selected as between cand dates from
State the man whom he believed
best fitted. notwithstanding that he
might have served fewer consecutive
years than another.
Fitness Not Considered.
I'VE have done none of these
; things. We have followed the senior
ity rule TO the letter. We have
selected as chairman of every impor-
tant committee the man who hap
pened to stand first on the list
whether he was At or obviously UNIT
We cannot go into a State and select
the best man from that State for
membership on a committee OF vital
Importance. We are bound to select
that man who has been longest in
consecutive service.
We shall have TO appoint on some
OF the most important fighting COM
inittees OF the House men who have
| perhaps never said Mr.. Speaker
! We are acting not as "a committee
! charged with the duty OF organizing
a House which shall have to write
! the most important legislation In our
! history. We are acting as Il conven-
! ton whose rules and procedure have
| been cut and dried beforehand and
where small group OF States can
| control its every act or move
/ ITO my mind the situation Is sad
beyond expression. So far as the or
| ganiZation OF the House Is concerned
! we are not living up to the spirit OF
the Republican party OF to-day. We
! have back tracked instead OF going
! forward. This sort Of leadership Is
: not what the Republicans Of the coun-
! try have a right to expect We are
going 10 be confronted in the next
| Congress by issues vastly more I'm
! portant than the placing OF a pro
hibitive duty on lumber. We ought TO
! be organized TO meet these problems
! IN the most efficient possible way. I'm
fortunately We shall not be n the Re-
publican conference approves our ac-
ton"