The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-12-21
WANTS To Be c. 0. P.
Peculiar Contention Arises
Over Il Congressman
ELECTED AS A DEMOCRAT
Now He Wants TO Be Put Down en-
List As Republican; Greats
Sore Spot.
ELECTED AS A DEMOCRAT

Washington, Dec ia very pee
uiar contention has arisen over the re-
quest of Congressman elect Peter a.
Porter of the Thirty fourth New York
district. to have his name recorded in
| the list of members elect as a republican.
Mr.. Porter's request appears to be with
out precedent. and will be denied There
have been instances in the past when
members of the house, and even sena
tors have been elected by one party,
and have subsequently repudiated the
platforms upon which they were elected,
and the party which elected them. But
these cases were based upon the fact
that the senators and representatives
found the policies of their party incom
patible with their conscientious beliefs.
Mr.. Sibey of Pennsylvania, elected
as democrat, did not agree with his
party on several national questions, and
he formally foreswore further allegiance
to that party. and upon the floor of the
house announced his intention to there
after affiliate with the republicans.
Senators Dubois of Idaho and Petit
grew of South Dakota were elected to
tic StHdbc dS IHcN ulSd-
greed with their party's declarations on
the silver question, as enunciated i'll
the platform of 1896, and thereafter
affiliated with thei democrats. Senator
Dubois was subsequently elected to the
senate as Il democrat, and is still serv-
ING as such.
But the case of Mr. Porter is different.
a copy of the official ballot upon which
he was elected shows that he was the
candidate of the regular democrats and
the Independence league, and that while
he also appears on the ballot as an Tn
dependent" he did not claim, officially,
anywhere that he was an 'independent
republican," SO far as the memory of
the oldest official of the house extends
back, there has never been time when
a member elected on one ticket claimed
the right to be recorded as a member of
the opposing party.
One of the best posted parliamentary
advisers of Speaker Cannon, in discus
sing the Porter request today, said:
TO grant the request of the member
eject that he be formally admitted as a
full fledged republican would be silici
Gal, even if compliance were possible
1t would open up too many complied
tions. How? Well, | will endeayor to
explain. Suppose that there should be
two candidates for speaker, and two
candidates for each OF the elective Of
ficers Of the house. Now, imagine a
hot contest, and an even division of
the republicans elect between the two
tickets. The admission of a democrat,
or Il man who owes his election princi-
L. -. l..
lican caucus might result in that mem
Der deciding the result And if one
democrat should be so admitted, why
not ten or a hundred?
''Not only would such a course direct
~ effect the organization of the house
itself, but it would follow that that one
vote, or those of the democrats so adj
mitted to an opposition party caucus
would naturally affect the organization
of every committee of the house. and
incidentally would have a direct and
important bearing upon the legislative
policies. Never yet has a member of
this house been elected by one party,
and Immediately admitted to the co,ln
ellis of the opposition, and there is no
likelihood that the speaker will endeavor
to create a precedent for the political
benefit of Mr.. Porter"
The members of the democratic CON
gressional committee are ''sore" at Mr..
Porter. That gentleman asked the sup
pOSt of the committee, but the day fol-
lowing his election he announced him
self as a republican. He will probably
have a very cool reception by the demo
Gratis. and if he is not permitted to en-
ter the republican caucus, he will be
the only man in the house without
party.