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The Commoner.
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 11
$11
m
The Commoner.
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of a comic opera, and laughter and applause
filled tho houso.
What of tho result? Tho unusual and almost
inoxpliciblo ending caused a thousand questions
as to tho meaning of tho armistice. Did it
moan that tho regulars had won over enough
of tho Insurgents to obtain a truce in tho fight
and timo enough to rally thoir forces, and form
some now plan of action? Or wero both sides
weary and worn to tho limit of physical ex
haustion and glad of an opportunity to defer
tho final struggle for a few hours and give all
a chanco to freshen themselves for it?
"We havo lost nothing," said Representative
Norris. "This postponement means not a thing
more than that we have deferred consideration
of my resolution until tomorrow. Tho issue is
not affected at all and the insurgents stand
solidly and unbroken now just where thoy stood
twenty-four hours ago."
Worn and haggarc, his unshaven face drawn
and pale and his oyes red and swollen from
sleeplessness and hours of intense application
the leader of tho little band of insurgents which
has hold tho balance of power in tho houso
through ono of tho most dramatic periods In Its
history, niado this declaration immediately after
tho houso had voted to adjourn. He, himself,
had voted to remain longer in session
"Tho insurgents who voted for this 'postpone
ment did so because they believed it mteht
provide an easier way to the accomplishment of
what wo are striving for, and I do not disap
prove of thoir action in tho least. It will cive
us opportunity to confer with the leaders of tho
regulars and seo how far they aro willing to
go In conceding us victory. b to
"You may bo sure of one thing, we shall not
compromise .principle, and we will bo found vot-
tho start." 3USt What W0 voted f0t
Representative Champ ClaTk, leader of th
minority and his chief lieutenant Representative
Underwood of Alabama, wero saUsHea with tho
situation at adjournment, although with their
solid party they had voted against it
Concerning tho conference of the republican
regulars and the Insurgents which was held to
day, and will continue tomorrow morning, Mr.
Clark had this to say: "They may agree upon
something that we democrats can also stand for,
but I don't believe it. If they get together on
something that wo don't believe In, wo will
fight it, and you can depend on that."
Upon Mr. Clark has fallen the great burden
of the battle for tho past two days from the
democratic side, and he showed the effects of
the long strain. When the motion to adjourn
was put and carried he arose slowly from his
seat on the democratic side and made his way
wearily out of the chamber, apparently glad that
a respite had come.
Representative Underwood was more specific
as to what attitude the democrats might be ex
pected to take when the houso convenes to
morrow. "If the regulars and insurgents come to
gether upon any basis which does not provide
for the election of a new committee on rules
by the house and the elimination of the speaker
from that committee, the democrats will oppose
it to a man," he said.
It was said today that the attitude of Speaker
Cannon himself is the greatest stumbling block
in tho way of a compromise. The speaker de
clines to be eliminated from the rules com
mittee. Speaker Cannon looked fresh as a1 peony, con
sidering the tax on his strength during his all
night vigil. From noon yesterday until 2 o'clock
this morning ho sat almost continuously in the
chair or stood near the rostrum.
Tho nap which he took in his office at 3
o'clock this morning, lasting an hour, consti
tuted almost his entire rest. When the house
adjourned today he showed little of the weari
ness naturally expected from a seventy-four-year
old man who had been under such a strain.
Ho and Miss Cannon had a dinner engagement
for tonight. When Miss Cannon telephoned to
know whother he felt able to keep this engage
ment, he responded enthusiastically that he cer
tainly was going to that dinner.
A GREAT STRUGGLE
At 9 o'clock in the morning of Saturday,
March 19, the regular republicans and tho in
surgent republicans through their representa
tives, held a conference seeking to get to
gether. They could not, however, agree.
The houso of representatives met at noon
Saturday. Immediately Gaines of West Virginia,
regular republican, moved to adjourn. There
was great disorder and Speaker Cannon an
nounced he was ready to rule on the resolution
offered by Norris of Nebraska providing for
the change in the rules committee. Gaines in
sisted on his motion to adjourn being put. The
speaker put the motion and it was defeated by
a roar of noes. Then the speaker announced
his ruling, holding that the point of order
against the Norris resolution was well taken.
Tho republicans cheered. Norris appealed from
tho decision of the chair and moved the pre
vious question. The previous question was or
dered by a voto of 182 to 160 a majority of
22 for tho democrats and insurgents.
The speaker then announced that the vote
would be on tho question, "shall the speaker's
decision be sustained." The speaker called Mr
Olmstead of Pennsylvania to the chair The
vote stood 1G0 yeas to 182 nays.
The speaker's decision being overruled, Norris
of Nebraska then offered a substitute resolution
in words as follows:
"There shall be a committee on rules, elected
by the house (hitherto the committee of five
like all house committees, has been appointed
by the speaker) consisting of ten members six
of whom shall be members of the majority
party. The speaker shall not be a member of
tho committee, and the committee shall elect itn
own chairman from its own members
"Resolved further, That within ten days after
the adoption of this resolution, there shall bo
an election of this committee and Immodlatel?
U?S Lts e,Gci?n' tno Present committee on rules
Bhall bo dissolved." Uiea
Thi1Ior?JBubstItute solution was then
adopted by 193 yeas and 153 nays
There was a great demonstration on tho r,ir
of democrats and insurgents with the annm,I
ment of this vote. Speaker Cannon tneS asked
e indulgence of tho house. He declared H
he had tried to do his duty and said the fwero
now two courses open to him. One was forYlm
to resign and the other was for thrdemocrlS
and insurgents to declare a vacancy in th S!
S LT HVaid ifc OTeSdl?
tn 5 fS gn and B0 h0 bounced he was ready
to entertain a motion to declare tho oZ 2
opeaker vacant. Burleson of TU, democrat,
promptly offered a resolution declaring the ofllco
of speaker to bo vacant and providing for tho
Immediate election of a speaker.
Promptly Norris of Nebraska moved to ad
journ. He pressed his motion and the regular
republicans and tho democrats joined forces to
vote it down. They succeeded by a large ma
jority. Norris then demanded a roll call on
his motion to adjourn. Fourteen insurgents
supported the demand, but the speaker ruled
that the number was not sufficient. The ques
tion then reverted to the Burleson resolution.
Speaker Cannon called Payne of New York to
the chair. As Hayes of California, Norris of
Nebraska and other insurgents voted against
removing Cannon, the regular republicans jeered
them. The Burleson resolution was defeated by
155 yeas to 191 nays. This was the signal for
a great demonstration on the part of Cannon
republicans and after the house had adjourned
the sppaker held a reception in front of the
speaker's stand.
The only republicans who voted in favor of
declaring the office of speaker vacant, was
Carey, Cooper, Lenroot and Nelson of Wiscon
sin; Davis and Linberg of Minnesota; Murdock
of Kansas, Gronna" of North Dakota and Poin
dexter of Washington nine' in all. The demo
crats voted solidly for the resolution.
An Associated Press dispatch says: Demo
crats tonight described the victory as one tend
ing toward good government and as a harbinger
of democratic success in the next national elec
tion. Regular republicans said the democrats
had weakened their issue of "Cannonism" and
that the house is left with a good working re
publican majority. Insurgent republicans said
they had won a great fight for a great principle.
These statements epitomize the opinions of tho
three shades of party politics in tho house.
The following insurgent republicans, thirty
five in all, voted with the solid democratic side,
against the motion to table Norris' appeal from
the decision of the speaker: Nelson, Kopp,
Carey, Cooper, Davidson, Lenroot, Morse, of
Wisconsin; Davis, Lindbergh, Miller, Steenerson,
Volstead, of Minnesota; Kendall, Hubbard,
Good, Haughn, Pickett, Woods, of Iowa; Hin
Bhaw, Kinkaid, Norris, of Nebraska'; Madison,
Murdock, of Kansas; Howland, Johnson, Taylor,
of Ohio; Ames, Gardner, of Massachusetts;
Foelker, Fish, of New York; Poindexter, of
Washington; Martin, of South Dakota; Gronna,
of North Dakota; Fowler, of New Jersey; Hayes,
of California.
The Insurgents had estimated their strength
at thirty-three, but they gained three, Howland,
Johnson and Taylor of Ohio, and lost Parsons
of New York, who heretofore had voted with
them intermittently. Martin of South Dakota
was also considered an accession.
LABOR TROUBLES
The president of the Firemen's Brotherhood
sent a letter to the railroad committee at
Chicago notifying him that if the entire contro-
n?rR Wr?n S0t submittel to arbitration a strike
of 25,000 firemen would be inevitable
?ager f lmmedlate strike of 27,000 locomo
tive firemen was averted at Chicago when the
differences were submitted by agreement
through arbitration. y agreement
rv,0Yfa8hmgt?11 fPaWl" say that the govern
ment will also intervene in the Bethlehem tl
company strike where a large company of merl
have been out for more than a month
A general strike of leather workers nn hr
f oodo'mnevn hvinAa" H,e,to TSK 2KS5
cago1Ver7eItCi1lvaenn in S ra,1'road at Chi
cen?s ILur ailowancoTf8?. Waees of o
all overtime AbSS . and a 1 tor
affected. The ininote tX 1thou1sand men aro
granted thla incroaro Wd of "Mtration;
The Philadelphia street car strike la still on,
necessary to tax the rna GB lB not that lfc to
more, but it I neceBBa???S inCfl and PQrI"cal3
attention from th? 7t thfi? Bf0mothInS to call
cent more to carry th rnnn costs 800 per
carry the .S t.
in .1 1 !. ',' i.i , n ..y.niiiiWi'.c.H.ii nil ,i.i),l
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