Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-29
Points Far-keoehing Results
of Rules Fight in 1911 and
Wonders if History viii
Repeat in 1924
BY JOSEPRUS DANIELS
Secretary of the Navy in Wilson's
Cabinet.)

CdDIUeI.D
RALEIGH, n. c., Dec. 2S.-Is his
tory to repeat itself? And is the
presidency in 1924 to be determined
by a fight over the rules of the
house?
The revolt in the ranks of the
western Republicans Of progressive
tendencies, which resulted IN the
Democratic victory in 1912, had its
outward concrete manifestation in a
fight against Cannonism. 1t was
charged then that the speaker, by
his power to name committees, could
and did control the legislative policy
of the house. 1t was a true indict-
ment.
Norris. of Nebraska, was the lead
err on the Republican side for q
change OF the rules that took away
autocratic power from the speaker
The Democrats had been laundering
against Cannonism a long time, but
being in the minority, they could not
effect the change in the rules alone.
Norris and his associates helped to
batter down the walls which protect
ed a speaker and his coterie of COM
mittee chairmen in debating the &C
ton Of the house. The average man
at first could see little relief or re.
form from change in the rules
of the house, but he soon saw it was
a vital matter. because if one man
could name all committees he was
absolute dictator whenever he. de-
sired to use autocratic power.
The issue became national and al
or fhn is.
sue of Cannonism the Democrats
carried the house in 1910 which
presaged the Wilson victory In 1912.
They had been greatly helped by the
Republican insurgents. That in
surgency over house rules was a
Torerunner of the open revolt in the
ton of the Progressive party and
the temporary undoing Of the old
guard. The causes of unrest lay far
deeper than any mere fight on rules.
That was the point of break. Dam
med up and denied a fair chance
for their measures, the Progressives
raised a revolt for modern rules.
They got them and with them got
the goat of standpatism
Same Old Crowd Back
WV lIlS SSiIllc LUIGI ludI WeI e
routed in 1912 are again in control
and are again calling the figgers."
Progressives are again in revolt
against hard conditions. The first
and most necessary reform is a fair
chance to secure all reforms. There
fore. if legislative body is so or
gained as to deny that right, the
immediate job is to change the rules
so they can have a fair opportunity
to be heard and let the majority win
So when they got to Washington
early this month the insurgent West
ern Republicans demanded a change
to secure such change in rules and
in organization as would open the
door for redress of the grievances
of the farmers.
is this fight on rules in 1928 to
be the precursor of what happened
in 1912 after the insurgents and
Democrats in a fight to change the
rules had endorsed Mr.. Cannon and
the old guard?
10 DO Something for the Farmer
me progressive Republicans of
the west land the Democrats, tool
came to Washington charged by
their constituents with the mission
OF doing something" that will aid
the farmers to secure a fair price
for their crops while everybody who
sells them anything charges the
farmers as much, sometimes more,
as when wheat brought $3.50 a
bushel.
I'VE have been given a raw deal"
is the way the western farmer puts
It, while everybody else is pettin .
big pay for what he sells Us and
city wage-earners are receiving big
wages" The western man with
the hoe" doesn't understand why he
alone, with back bent, has to sell
what he grows at less than the cost
Of cultivation while the man in the
city is paying high prices for He
is cropping to find the light. lie
isn't sure OF what will help him,
and so he has sent his petitions in
boots to Washington in the person
of Magnus Johnson, Shipstead, Dill