AMERICAN POLITICAL EPISODE

West Coast Times, 22 March 1910, Page 3

AMERICAN POLITICAL EPISODE

CURBING AN AUTOCRATIC SPEAKER. DISSATISFIED REPUBLICANS. [FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPIBIGHT NEW YORK, March 20.—Thirtylive dissatisfied Republicans combined with the Democrats to curtail the slowers5 lowers of the Speakership, alleging that Mr Joseph Cannon used his power to nominate comittee men in an arbitrary fashion in the interests of the Republican party. Hardly had the new rule passed providing that six Republicans and four Democrats should form the Rules Comittee, which deals with the precedence of private members bills, than a rowdy debate sprung up, which ended in the House refusing the demand of the Democrats to depose Mr Cannon. The insurgent Republicans had to be satisfied with the curtaining of the Speaker’s power. LONDON, March 22.—Commenting on the curbing of the powers of Mr Speaker Cannon by Congress the Washington correspondent of the Times stat- j cs that the episode is of considerable importance. “The old Republican organisation in Congress,” be says, “has suddenly crumbled. Mr Cannon was virtually omnipotent over Federal legislation. The Democrats, however, have made a mistake I bey bad intended to make “Cannonism” n great issue in their next Congressional campaign, but have now blundered badly in helping the Republicans to rid themselves of the incubus of Cannonism.