Evening star., 1945-02-04
Capital Sidelights
By VIII P. Kennedy.

6AA~o
BY VIII P. Kennedy.
In the much-discussed "streamhning"
Of Congress, major obstacle Is the
time-honored seniority rule, under which
promotions come with length Of service
rather than in open contest Of ability
"and may the best man win" It is
under the seniority fetish or tradition
that the "Solid South" following for
many years the custom Of sending their
Representatives back to successive Con-
crosses, has come into Craftsmanship
direction of practically all Of the i'm
portant House committees: Accounts,
appropriations, banking and currency,
census, civil service. claims, education, the
four elections committees, expenditures,
food control, insular affairs, judiciary.
merchant marine and fisheries, military
affairs. naval affairs, patents, post ONCE
and post roads, printing, public build
ings and grounds, public lands, rivers
and harbors, Territories, ways and
means. war veterans and q half dozen
other special and select committees. The
same is true in q lesser degree In the
Senate. This is not by way OF saying
that the present cnairmen are not
among the ablest In the House, but the
fact remains that the solid South" con-
tinues "in the saddle" and can do q
quiet, effective job Of blocking reforms
that might disturb their "squatter
rights" ,s....-. .r....
/, But-in considering the @"streamli,1-
: ing project, many members seem to
rule has been "honored in the breach"
Two outstanding instances here will be
quoted, both of which came through
Republican leadership, and In each case
there was no question but that the over
riding Of the rule brought to the chair
manship of the Appropriations Commit
tee abler men. When Uncle Joe" Cam
non of Illinois was elected Speaker, Mo-
vember 8, 1908, he had been chairman
of the Appropriations Committee in the
Fifty-first and Fifth-fourth to the
Fifty-seventh Congresses (1889-1891 and
man by James A. Hemenway Of Indiana
in the Fifty-eighth Congress (l903-l905).
Mr.. Hemenway was reelected to the
Fifty ninth Congress, but resigned be-
fore taking his seat January 10, 1905, to
succeed Charles w. Fairbanks, when the
latter was elected Vice President on the
ticket with Theodore Roosevelt. He took
his Senate seat March 4, 1905, and be-
came chairman Of the Committee on
the University Of the United States.
That left Henry H. Bingham Of Penn
sylvania the ranking Republican on the
House Appropriations Committee. Mr..
Cannon succeeded, as Speaker, David b.
Henderson of Iowa, who had succeeded
Thomas B. Reed Of Maine.
In those days the Speaker had broad
er and more arbitrary powers than to-
day, including committee appointments.
Mr.. Cannon automatically took James
A. Tawney of Minnesota from fourth
place on the Ways and Means Com
mittee, of which Soreno E. Payne Of New
York was chairman, and made him
chairman of appropriations. At the
same time that he switched James T.
McCleary of Minnesota from third place
on appropriations to I'LL Mr.. Tawney's
vacancy on Ways and Means, Speaker
Reed had recognized Mr.. Tawney's abil-
ity and In his second term placed him
on ways and means In his third term
he became party whip. He had made .
record as foe Of public extravagance.
He became one Of the all-time great"
chairmen Of appropriations. Jealous
for our national defense, during his SIX
years as chairman Of appropriations he
put through the major appropriations
for the Panama Canal defense project.
The second instance Of defiance Of
the unwritten seniority rule was in the
Sixty-seventh Congress. James w. Good
Of Iowa had been chairman of appro-
priations in the Sixty-sixth and the
first session of the Sixty-seventh Con-.
crosses. During his tenure the present
budget system was adopted, with Ill ap-
propriations centralized In the one COM
mittee, q plan urged since the days q
Garfield BY leaders OF D0th major par.
ties, and with Goods two immediate
predecessors IS chairmen John ]. Fitx-
gerald Of New York and ]. Svasar
Sherley Of Kentucky diligently press
ing for It's approval by Congress. Good
resigned to accept appointment BY
President Harding as Secretary ot War.
Charles r. Davis Of Minnesota ranked
next in seniority on the committee. but
the Republicans selected Martin B.
Madden Of Illinois. who had been second
70 Chairman Halvor steenerson q Min
nesota On the Post Once and Post Roads
COMMITTEES. and showed him ahead d
NJ. Davis to b Tho new chair6aan Il
appropriations Mr. Madden va tn
onH chairman q The csmmittee v1so
was MT born IN this country. hut II
Darlington. 1nsland.