The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-24
FIVE mem CONTROL
|. IN u. S CONGRESS
|. KITCHIN DECLARES
Says Something Worse Than
"CannoniSm" Has Returned
to National House Of Repre-
SentatiVeS.

WASHINGTON, March 24.-some-
thing worse than Cannonism has re-
turned in the house of representa- tives.
Five men control the policies of con-
gress and dictate arbitrarily and regard
less OF the wishes OF individual mem
bers what legislation shall be presented,
debated and acted upon.
THESE are charges which soon will be
put before the country by Representa-
tive kitchin, former Democratic floor
leader in the house. Kitchin has made
several attempts to get time to dis
cuss the house situation but invariably
has been frustrated by some special
rule limiting debate, and these special
rules are controlled by these five men,
composing the Republican steering COM
mittee.
, did the people elect representatives
TO come here and really represent them
or did they elect these five men and will
they be content to know that their al
legged representatives are utterly power
less to do anything that the people
want them to do?' is the question asked
by Kitchin.
In connection with the story Which
kitchin proposes to tell for the benefit
of the nation, he will make an appeal
TO the near-insurgents on the Republi-
can side to end a reign of "Cannonism"
and to return control of the house of
representatives to the people.
we're under Cannonism because at that
time one man assumed responsibility
for everything and the people were
able to direct their attack on that man"
said KitChin. But here we have five
men. If you want something done or
the people want something done and ask
one of their representatives to voice
their wishes, he first has to go to this
steering committee and plead his case.
Whether he gets any action or whether
the people are able to get hearing de-
ponds entirely upon the opinion of these
five members.
Not bill nor a resolution can be
considered by committee and not a
committee can take action until final
approval is given by these five men.
And II they do ont approve, regardless
of what the people may want, the peo-
pie will not get it.
with five men assuming response
bility, the member goes to one and
asks him to assist him or asks him the
Il reason why the voice of the people Is
not listened to, and the response is:
III be for your proposition but it Is
not but the other three or four mem
bers that you must see. | am not
preventing action Then If he goes
no another of the three or four, he gets
4 the same answer and responsibility is
passed along the line until nothing is
4 done"
The five members of the steering
4 committee control more than 100 of the
Republican votes in the house. This
4 is working majority, sufficient power
4 TO permit control of the committee oil
A committees and in this way control the
entire organization Of the house is had
i've got the speeches of some of the
A insurgents to show that they con
4 demned this plan of organization, tina
4 they pointed out the. West and Middle
West and the South were without rep
& resentation in this close organization
and that they described this plan o
Organization as going a step beyond
even that offered under the reign o
Cannonism. l don't think the peopl
will be willing to permit such thinl
to continue in our scheme of govern
n ment."
4 Kitchin says it will be recalled tina
when it was pointed out that near-in
surgents in the days of Cannonism wert
ready to attack the Cannon regime il
public print, but in their actions il
congress were afraid to attack Cannon
ism and meekly submitted to the rul
of the Cannon organization, these near
insurgents were not returned to tn
! house in the next election, He is go
ing to hold up this instance as a warn
ing to the near-insurgents Of the pres
ent day.
The steering committee'is charged b
the near-insurgents with the adoptio
of the program of doing nothing" Il
this congress and with the enforcement
of the program of constant delay Of
every suggestion relating to construc
tive legislation.