The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-02-02
Fair Deal Issue
As House Votes
For Liberal Rule
BY ALVAINE HAMILTON

washington tLfA - Inc rlgn
Of the members Of the House o
Representatives to debate and vot'
on every measure approved by an!
Of its committees was assured Jan
20, when, after a dramatic debate
the House voted 236 to 1873 to re
tain its 2l-day rule.
Sixty-four Republicans joinet
with III Democrats to uphold tn,
present rule, which allows commit
tee chairman to call up bill fol
floor consideration I'll Legislative
days after a rule is asked from th'
rules committee. Eighty-six Demo
Gratis and SO Republicans voted fol
the unsuccessful attempt to pu
final power in the Rules group.
The Republican leadership wai
blunt in stating the issue. A vote
to go back to the older rule, under
which the Rules Committee coulc
virtually bottle up any piece OF
Legislation it didn't like, was a
vote against Socialism" and was
a vote for "solvency", COP leader
Martin (R, Mass.) told the crowd
ed House chamber, in summing up
for those who would change the
rule.
A bloc of southern Democrats,
led by Eugene Cox Cd, CALI, had
the immediate aim of blocking an
FEPC bill which can be called up
Monday, Jan. % under the liberal
rule. Cox asserted that the Rules
Committee currently dominated
by a Dixiecrat-Republican bloc)
served as the governor on the leg
islative engine. Since we took off
the governor this engine has been
running wild"
In one of his rare personal an
peals, Speaker Sam Raybum ID,
Tex.) yielded the chair, and took
the floor to appeal for retention of
the rule under which "the major
ity Of the House can on any occas-
ion work its will" He stated frank
ly that if the four Republicans on
the committee could get two Demo
Gratis to vote with them, the Rules
group could bottle up any Admin
istration proposals under the pro-
posed rule.
Lead-off speaker for changing
the rule was the ranking minority
member of the Rules Committee.
Leo Allen Or, Ill.). He warned his
COP colleagues ga of whom later
disregarded him) that they should
MT naively allow liberals, parlor
pinks and socialists to persuade
them to oppose the rule change, in
the hopes of winning votes in the
November elections.
''The issue here is whether Pres
ident Truman's socialistic program
will succeed or be defeated" he
said frankly, referring to the power
of the Rules Committee to block
the Administration.
Clarence Brown Or, Ohio) fol-
lowed up with warning that "the
flood gates will be opened to the
floor of this House for all kinds of
Socialist legislation" if the Rules
Committee can't block them. He
also warned his Republican collea-
CUES against backsliding. However,
ne was almost Immediately follow
ed by Rep. James Fulton Or, Pa
who said that as a Republican he
wanted the right to vote on every
piece of Legislation. Rep. Jacob
Javits (R-Liberal, n. " broke in
10 say that he endorsed Fulton's
views.
Reps. Ray Madden ID, Ind.) and
Mike Monroney Cd, Okla.) both
spoke for retaining the rules as it |
low stands. Monroney called this
he most important issue he's vot-
d on in his II years in Congress.
lie called any change "regressive"
nd charged the Republican-Dixie-
rat coalition with trying to take
,ower away from the Congress and
rive it to II men on the Rules
to act in star chamber
He observed that /
iouse committee chairmen often
-et treated worse than the most
orrupt lobbyist" when they come
efore the Rules Committee to ask
nat their bills be expedited.
Reps. Charles Halleck (R, Ind.) L
nd Joseph Martin (R, Mass.) both
the issue of Social
,m" which might be averted if the
Jules group got back its old power. =
Venerable Rules Committee lE
hartman Adolph SABBATH ID, Ill.,, l|
ID the floor fight for the present I|
lle. The vote represented a vic IE
Dry that was especially crafty IE
lg, since his own committee had, IE
arlier in the week, taken matters L
ut of his hands and ordered Rep. lE
OK to report the rule change pro- e
osal to the House by Z to 2 vote. e
When the session of the House e
pened, Republicans tried to OBJ IE
hin immediate adjournment, but l=
'st by vote of $50 to 255. Five IE
epublicans skipped the traces e
nd voted against adjournment; E
ull wis.,, Crawford Mich }, Il
ross (Wis.), Mason Qll.) and {
(Wis.), Democrats who E
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