Evening star., 1923-03-14
Politics at Large
BY n. O. MESSENGER

republicans in the House looking to
the upbuilding during the recess OF
compact force which will seek to
make terms advantageous to the pro-
gressive element In tho organisation
OF the next House. The movement is
understood to comprise represents
ltives-elect from Wisconsin, North
Dakota, Minnesota, Montana and
other western states, and 1t Is claim
ed that a sufficient number have
signed up to constitute q bloc which
| will have to be reokoned with in legis-
| lation and organization.
No fusion with the democrats is
1t is said, and party
Loyalty will be maintained to that
ION important committees. especially
the committee on rules and the
steering" committee, Is the princi-
pal aim.
/ "On Guard for the People" is the
| slogan adopted by the Peoples Leg
islative Service, with headquarters In
this city. Its director. Basil M.
Manly. in a statement issued today
asserts that "invisible government"
killed the Norris amendment chang
ing the date Of Congress.
The condition that permits a few
never moro strongly brought to the
attention of the public than in the
disposition Of the Norris amendment
and the bill to provide adequate
school facilities for the children Of
Washington. both Of which were kill
says the statement. The House is
SO large and unwieldy and the mass
or legislation is SO great that even
atter measure has run the gantlet
or committees and has been reported
tavorably 1t can yet be smothered on
the House calendar by the arbitrary
action OF the majority leaders, espe-
clally II the measure Is delayed in
Rouse calendar until late in the ses-
sion. Formerly 1t was an easy mat
TER TO let any measure sleep in the
committee or on the House calendar
unless the powerful few who control
the House called the matter up on
the floor. After the fight on Uncle
Joe Cannon in 1909 an attempt was
made to cure this situation by amend
ing the House rules so that the House
en eeatan was sasq rsqursd ed, to BE- called
closing days of a session there is
such rush that the powerful COM
mittee on rules takes charge of the
procedure Of the House and brings
!
4 which set aside all the rules of the
House and provide for the constdera-
,tion only Of special legislation, which
IS that favored by the powerful few"
The statement goes on to charge,
with respect to the Norris amend
ment that the committee on rules
Iof the House smothered # to death
on that side of the Capitol, although
1t was openly stated that the MEM
bership OF the House stood more than
n he ,1r,,A
The story of the Norris amend
ment' Mr. Manly's statement con-
tinues. lis important. not only in
itself. but because 1t demonstrates
fused to defeat the will Of the people"
It looks as though a special drive
will be made by the progressives for
a hold on the committee on rules in
the next Congress.
Forme Leader Mondell takes issue
with the charge that the committee
on rules smothered the Norris amend
ment He calls attention to the fact
that the resolution did not come over
and on February % what purported
ito be favorable report from the
committee was presented in the
House. But it was claimed that less
than a quorum OF the committee had
reported the resolution. "The House
did not consider the resolution for a
variety of reasons" says Mr. Mondell.
First. because it could rot have been
considered under the rules of the
House. because II was not regularly
reported out of committee: second,
VERY few members of the House be-
ilieEed it advisable to attempt to con-
lsider so important a measure so late
lin the session, when SO little consid-
GRAFTON had been or could be given
to it; and. third, the condition Of the
hryc iyNn Of hn sko%
several of the important measures
that became laws the last two days
iof the session would have been
ijeopardized. if not defeated, il time
had been given for consideration Of
this measure"
| Here is Il proposition for the poll
iticians and the lay public to consider.
advanced by former Majority Leader
iMondell of the House of Representa-
tives. Hearken to 1t:
"The greatest menace. of the day is
1.-THE menace of organized, militant
persistent minorities."
That is the deliberate utterance of a
imam after twenty-six years Of service
in the popular branch of Congress,
whip and spur Of organized minori-
lties and seen them drive men against
ttheir better judgment "Minorities."
The continues. (which, dissociated from
lt1e particular OBJECT OF LnelF ieR1Sia-
Tive pursuit. may be among the best
iintentioned of our citizens ship, but un-
ider the spur and spell Of special
,pleading and selfish appeal propose.
;suggest. urge and demand the most
dangerous procedure.
Il wish it were possible, with a
view to neutralizing the effect of
these minority drives, to organize all
these minorities and all the balance
of the people into the amalgamated
lsociety of the public interest. with
their only effort and purpose that of
shielding the representatives of the
ipeople from the drives of minorities
iseeking special favors and privileges.
1.-The accomplishment would be worthy
Iof the highest praise"
The note of bitterness born of ex-
Iperience in the tone Of Mr. MondelIs
Inext assertion might we'll be appre-
iciated by politician. layman and leg
islator:
"We have reached q condition in
which the political fortunes of a
member Of Congress do not wholly or
lin the main depend upon the basic
isoundness Of his view, his faithful
attendance upon the sessions Of Con-
and good faith in bearing his share
in the performance and responsibility
for the work Of Congress, but to q
very considerable extent upon the
good will, the friendly attitude. Of
tgentlemen who as legislative repre-
isentatives sit in the galleries and, as
1.-THE favored ones in the old Roman
!days decreed life or death to the
istruggling gladiator in the arena by
thumbs up or thumbs down. deter
tmine the political life and fortunes
Iof members of Congress.
Il How often have we noted here the
effect of an organized propaganda and
Of it's written. phoned and wired
fruits. Without regard to all this