Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-01-10
THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
By CONG. JOHN PAUL KVALE

By CONG. JOHN PAUL KVALE
Regular news agencies and the ra-
do have perhaps been able to bring
readers of this letter the story of the
colorful opening of Congress despite
the heavy competition afforded by the
accounts and details of the Haupt-
mann trial in New Jersey. Likewise,
the message of the President, per-
sonally delivered to a joint session Of
the Senate and House and attended
by the Cabinet, has been printed in
full and commented upon.
Senator LaFOllette perhaps best ex-
pressed the views of progressive men,
bers of Congress when he expressed
qualification over the general tone of
the message and the detectives it out
lined. but withheld any Judgment of
the Legislative program until further
revealed more specifically
what it would include. President
Roosevelt of course followed that plan
in the last Congress. His opening
would cover a survey of con-
ditiOns and discuss the state of the
Nation" but specific legislative recon-
would come in later, one
after the other, and carefully spaced
so that each would have attention.
AS one writer pointed out, this STRAIT
egg avoided the necessity for making
the annual message an all-inclusive
subsequently forgotten when
Congress got down to the grind of it's
legislative duties.
Because of that fact, there may be
no significance in the absence of any
reference to the reorganization of the
banking structure, and of the estab-
lishment of a government-operated in
stitution which would exercise central
control over the nations credit and
currency, or to other omissions that
might be set out here. Certainly he
has set himself squarely on record
against the American Liberty League
and Chamber of Commerce elements
which have been used to dominating
the governmental picture.
In completing the organization of
the House-except for the assign
ments to committees-the Democrat
leaders saw fit to emasculate the dis
charge rule" by an amendment which
wrecks it for all practical purposes.
The rule, readers will recall, provides
that any bill which lies in a commit
tee for more than thirty legislative
days may be brought up in the House
despite the committee inactivity. If
145 members sign such a discharge
petition, the bill in question can be
brought up for immediate considera-
tion if a majority of the House so
votes. The important thing to re-
is that the first vote is always
to decide whether the bill is to be
considered. If a majority says no,
that is that, and the effort under the
discharge rule naturally fails.
That would seem to be safeguard
enough for any fair member of Con-
gress, you say. But Democratic lead
ers, who made a similar attempt last
Congress and failed, took advantage
Of the inexperience of the newly
elected members and of other factors,
and determined in caucus to amend
the rule so that now 21S names are
needed to make the rule operative.
That means not only majority of the
present, but clear majority
Of the entire membership. 1t virtu-
ally means that a bill has to be
passed before it can be considered,
that is, if it is one of the bills which
leaders decide shall not be considered
and the leaders can dominate the
chairman of the committee which has
it. They generally do.
Thus, despite the fact that about
sixty Democrats joined with the
parties in voting no. the
House effectively gagged itself at the
very beginning of its work. Leaders
deny they had any particular bill
in mind, but it is rather openly
that they intend to "sit on
the lid" as far as any consideration
for the Frazier bill is concerned, as
also the so-called Townsend plan for
old age pensions, the farm cost of pro-
ductiOn measure, and others.
The rule leaves the House COM
pletely at the mercy of the Rules COM
mittee. If a regular legislative COM
mittee is won over by the arguments
Of advocates for any certain measure,
the committee will report the bill ia
vorably and it takes its place on the
calendar. If leaders disapprove the
bill, however, the order of business is
so arranged that the bill will not be
reached for consideration, and the
only remedy is tn secure a Snecial