The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-12-26

legislative days, of the old, discred-
tied rules. Bertrand N. Smell of New
York, slated by seniority and the eau
Gus to be chairman of the committee
on rules, offered the resolution to put
the old rules into temporary effect,
as follows:
"Resolved, that the rules of the
House of Representatives of the
Sixty-seventh Congress be adopted
as the rules of the House of Repre-
sentatives of the Sixty-eighth Con-
gress until January IA, 1924"
Then, instantly, Mr.. Smell was on
his feet, and of course recognized,
to say:
"Mr. Speaker, I move the previous
question to the adoption of the reso-
luton"
Moving the previous question:" as
everybody knows, shuts off debate
and absolutely prevents amendments.
On this occasion it was a cowardly
thing to do. It was a confession of
insincerity on the part of the ma
chine towards rules reconstruction.
The House had no pressing business
to perform. Several days might well
have been given to debate upon this
all-important subject, but not even a
minute of discussion was permitted.
The "previous question" is as much
necessity to a legislative boss as a
jimmy is to a burglar. No sooner
had the Independents raised their
embargo on the boss program then
this parliamentary bludgeon was used
against them.
This suggests the real truth about
the situation. By yielding their bal
ance of power on the only issue, and
at the only point, where it could be
effective, the progressives lost their
only sure opportunity to accomplish
rules reform. @
They will get a chance at rules re-
form-thirty days hence. But in the
meantime the Old Guard has made
that fight a hundred times more diff
ficult, if not completely impossible,
by reassembling the old machine and
re-establishing the same vicious sys-
tenn. So long as the Independents
could obstruct the organization they
were in a position to enforce their
demands for more wholesome legis-
lative conditions. Now, having yield
ed that, they must combat a ma
chine that did not exist before.
Where all the powers of obstruction
were in their hands, now all the pow
ers of obstruction are Old Guard con-
trolled.
They surrendered also another
mighty element in their favor. When
the issue upon which they locked
horns with the bosses was that of the
speakership, the insurgents actually
had, the balance of power, because,
being a strictly partisan question, the
Democrats would vote solidly for
their party candidates. Most of the
Democratic leaders do not want the
House made Democratic and DELHI
erative any more than do the Repub-
lican regulars. Their record on rules
reform proves all that. Accordingly,
when they come to vote on issues of
procedure a decisive portion of them
will be found against the more vital
changes. Although the Democrats
may talk to the contrary, they de-
sire that the system be left sub
stantially as it is, in order that it's
spoils and perversions may be theirs
to enjoy when the House is again in
their hands. Were this not true, they
would have Joined the independents
in favor of reconstruction. Instead
they sat back and watched the great
opportunity 60 by.
In brief. the Old Guard have elect
ed their speaker, with all the par
liamentary advantages that 60 with
that position; they have reorganized
the standing committees with their
own chairen and personnel; and they
have readopted, for the period of the
controversy, the old reactionary rules
under which they can now make the
fight against any publicly vital
changes in the system. They have
gained every conceivable advantage,
including that of enough certain
Democratic support to make their
final victory" assured.
Khan Rules for Reform Program
Obviously the progressive group
should not have agreed to any post
ponement of constructive action.
They should have made their fight
to change the system when the rules
were adopted. That was their only
chance to win. ...'..
eve were not ready" may be their
answer. They should have been
ready with a complete redraft of the
rules.
That revision should have gone
much farther and been much more
fundamental than the program for
which they did make a stand.
Now all that can be done is to pre-
sent a thorough plan of reconstruc-
ton and compel every member
squarely to face the responsibility
of public record upon every impor-
tant phase of it. It will be voted
down, but let the record reveal ex-
actly what it was and who voted it