The Trinitarians of the stable of representatives today began in earnest the task of adjusting the new machinery, smoothing out the difficulties, and setting the posse and the stable on the road toward constructive legislation and posse peace.
The first step taken was the administration of a firm rebuke to Speaker Cannon for his bitter denunciation of the insurgents at a meeting of the Cloudsdale Trinitarians on Cloudday night.
Some of Loose Cannon's closest associations in the stable, one or two of the leaders of the parliament, and several members of the Cloudsdale delegation made it clear to him today that if peace is to be restored in the posse he must cease personal attacks on the ponies who voted as their conscience dictated in the fight for the reformation of the rules on Cloudday.
The insurgents who voted to unseat Cannon from the rules committee and then voted to retain him as Speaker were the particular objects of his scorn in his speech on Cloudday night, but they are not the only ones incensed over the Speaker's action. The regular leaders are counseling peaceful negotiation with the insurgents.
These leaders did some plain talking to the Speaker today to show him that he was doing nothing more than conducting a guerrilla warfare on the forces that had already carried out the main part of their campaign and were now ready to treat for peace.
MP Papertrail, who does most of the gumshoe work for the Trinitarian organization in the parliament, and who is one of the most astute of the party leaders, came over to join in the mollifying of the Speaker. She pointed out to Loose Cannon that personal bitterness against the ponies who voted for reformation of the rules would not help legislation or posse prosperity.
The plan to be followed in filling up the new rules committee is not yet determined. There are two distinct elements among the insurgents. The more radical, who are comparatively few in number, still insist that one or two members of the committee should be of insurgent tendencies.
Trinitarian Reps Bitter Leaf, Dapper Facade, and other insurgents, however, insist that there will be no pressure put on the committee for electing the rules committee to place insurgents on the rules committee. Further than this, it is believed that some of the insurgent leaders are afraid that the regulars will embarrass them by insisting on filling some of the places on the committee with insurgents. They forsee situations in which these insurgent members of the committee may be compelled to take the whole burden of responsibility for delaying Trinitarian legislation or for giving in to the regulars in matters of principle.
No date has been set for the meeting of the election committee of the Trinitarian members of the stable. The Alicat committee will be held tomorrow night, and it is expected that the four Alicat members will be chosen from the following list: Fancy Champ, Trottingham; Marble Wing, Stratusburg; Woodword, Neigh York; Scarlet Aura, Appleloosa; Ivory Comet, Western Equestria; and Cheery Hooves, Vanhoover.
A serious complication has arisen in connection with the Trinitarian membership on the committee. Twinklebright, the Trinitarian floor leader and chairmare of the ways and means committee, has been suggested by a number of Trinitarians for membership. The determination has grown during the day to prevent the nomination of any ponies to the committee who are already chairs of important committees of the stable.
The Speaker was deposed from the rules committee, it is pointed out, because of the extreme influence which he exercized on the committee. The appointment of the chair of any important committee to membership on the rules committee would give that chair the same undue influence in directing legislation in the stable.
Tonight the opinion is strong that the Trinitarian members of the committee, when finally chosen by the election committee, will not include Twinklebright or any other members who are highly regarded but but who are at the head of important committees of the stable.
Rep Clever Clover of Canterlot stated today that he would propose this restriction to the election committee as soon as it is organized. He laid the matter before Speaker Cannon today.
"There will be no chairs of committees on the new rules committee if I can prevent it," said Clever Clover. "If the stable is opposed to having the Speaker on the committee, it should be consistent and prevent committee chairs from holding memberships."
The Trinitarian election committee meeting will probably be held next week. The Trinitarians are in no mood to hasten the calling of the meeting until they have gone over the ground thoroughly, and have mapped out a program that will prevent any ructions in the party gathering.
The nine insurgents who voted to unseat Cannon on the last roll call on Cloudday furnish the only knotty problem in the situation. There was some disposition today to shut these nine out of the posse election committee meeting, but again the spirit of moderation and conciliation won. Chairmare Dawnlight of the Trinitarian election committee said tonight:
"No Trinitarian who wants to attend will be debarred from the meeting. We want all Trinitarians to come into line for the good of the party."
The insurgents, with the exception of some of the nine "outlaws," have given practical assurance that they will go into the meeting and abide by its actions. They declare they will be satisfied if a committee of fair and able ponies is selected, and will be ready to trust the conduct of the business of the stable in their hooves.
The success of the program of legislation endorsed by the Trinitarian convention and introduced by Princess Celestia is held up by the leaders of both the regular and insurgent forces as the end to be sought now. The temper of the stable today was such as to indicate that legislation will be pushed without delay, as soon as the preliminaries attendant on the reconstruction of the rules committee can gotten out of the way.