The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1924-02-01
WHIP HAND HELD BY
DENIS. and PROCS,

SossSs VsvS SSSSu
XXX b..
Fight to Liberalize House Rules Gives
Combined Faction Chance For
Oratory.
XXX
Congressional Record Being Filled
With Campaign Thunder for
Home Consumption.
XXX
Bureau Publication and Education)
WASHINGTON, D. Bipartisan
spirit is running high this week in the
House of Representatives and every
fellow is busy getting it, out of his
system" for home consumption by his
constituents. The vehicle afforded for
this display of oratorical fireworks is
the debate on the proposed change in
the rules that govern the proceedings
of the House.
Hundreds of speeches are being
made on the floor by Republicans,
Democrats and Progressives and each
fellow is having his say as to what
he thinks about making drastic
changes proposed in the fight to lib
eralize the rules. The fight was
started by the LaFollette group of
Progressives in the House headed by
Representative Nelson of Wisconsin,
and they have formed a coalition with
the Democrats. So far they have won
their points and it looks like this
combination will be able to make such
changes as they desire. The debate
bids fair to run on and on for a week
or more. It seems to be the agree
ment to give every member a chance
to make his speech and have his say
and most of the 435 members are
awaiting themselves of this opportun-
ity.
Petition Plan Proposed
The Progressive-Democratic COM
bination is making its fight to keep
committee chairmen from pigeon,
holing measures that they do not see
fit to report out of committee to the
House. The scheme is that after a
committee has had a measure before
it for thirty days that the author car
have that committee discharged from
further consideration of the measure
and get it out of committee and be.
fore the House if he can get a petit.
ton containing 100 or $50 signatures
of members of the House asking that
such action be taken. The exact
number of signatures required has
not been voted on; some members
wish the number cut to 100 anC
others wish to make it $50. In either
event, they argue that any measure
that is desired to come before the
House ought to be brought there il
100 or $50 members of the House
sign a petition to that effect rather
than let a committee chairman carry
it around in his pocket or place it il
a pigeon hole for safe keeping where
it will take on sleeping sickness
after so long a time. The Progress.
sives also contend that even if s
chairman of committee is disposed
to bring the matter before his com.
mittee that often from seven to 8
dozen members of that committee
can smother a bill and kill off legis.
Iation no matter if all the rest of the
members of the House wish it re.
ported out of that committee to the
House.
The regular Republicans argue
that if the rules are changed in this
respect that the minority can at any
time embarass the majority party
and handicap legislation in Congress
and work hardship on any program
which may be formulated by the
party that is supposed TO be in power
It is asserted that it will take on the
appearance of q filibuster and pro.
long discussion and debate on unim.
portant legislation and act to the
detriment Of a legislative program
mapped out for the country by the
majority party.
Spade Called a Spade
In this fight Republicans, Demo.
Gratis and Progressives are not mine
ing words. They are calling a spade
spade and the House is in good-na.
tm ed uproar most of the time by
the continual INVITING from both
sides of the chamber. When the
Democrats were in the saddle dur
ing the eight years of the Wilson
administration they did the same
things the Republicans are now &C.
cused of doing, but there was not as
many Independent Democrats among
them as there are Progressive insur-
gents in the House today.
Republicans on the floor of the
House assert that if the Democrats
ever again get back in power in Con-
gress they will be confronted with
the same tactics as are now proving
embarrassing to the party in power.
The Democrats are helping the Pro-
gressives make it hot for the Repub-
Leans and the latter are making
threats of retaliation if the time and
opportunity comes for them to do so,