The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-01
MIR. VILLAIN
 Is RE-ELE11'ED Again Selecte Is Minor ity Leader. CAUCUS OF THE DEMOCRATS Congressman Clayton of Alabama Presided at Meeting. In Ills Speech of Acceptance Mir. WiI-
 Hams Appealed to Members to
 stand Together on All Es- sential Lines.
OF THE DEMOCRATS

Washington. Nov. 30.--By agreeing to place in nomination for Speaker Hon. John Sharp Williams. of Missis- sippi, the Democratic members of the House today in effect decided to con- tinye him in the position of minority leader for the Sixtieth Congress The nomination of Mir. Williams was agreed on in a caucus of the Demo- cratic members held in the Hall of the House of Representatives, beginning at o'clock today. Representative Henry D. Clayton of Alabama, presided and Representative Ryan of the Buffalo tNew York) District, was chosen Sec retary. Immediately after the organ ization of the caucus had been com pleted, Representative Thomas of North carolina, was recognized and he pro- ceeded at once to place MT. Williams m nomination. There was no opposi- ton and Mir. Williams was selected by exclamation. In presenting Mir. Will liams's name, Mir. Thomas said in part:
 "Re-elect him minority leader, fel- low Democrat, and from whatever part of the Union of States you come. what ever your personal views as to Demo- cratic politics. you will find him fair to all, aggressive, yet conservative; tho best type of Southern statesmanship of a Democracy which believes with Jeff ferson in equal rights to all and spe- cial privileges to none; which opposes monopoly, which stands for strict con- struction and stands for the rights of the people and the States.
 We have followed him here with i'm plfcit confidence, even as the Hugue- nots followed the white plume of Hem ry of Navarro. He Is the ablest de- batter today in either branch of Con- gress. The most tactfnl, skillful. re- sourceful leader Democracy has ever had. and I hope to have him continue to lead the minority until he takes his place as Senator from Mississippi. The son of father, a martyr to the Lost Cause. who died at the head of his regiment. the 27th Tennessee, at Shf- loh, the whole South claims him, for he was baptized in the sacred blood of one of her heroes
 From the time he entered the Eff ty-third Congress to this good hour. ne has never made fight where yic- tory was possible in Mississippi or here, which he did not win. He has held his leadership as a great trust for Democracy; perfected the organization Of his party upon the committees and united so far as Is in the power of mortal man the Democratic minority |"
 MT. Thomas's speech was received by the caucus with signs of lively appre- ciation and their approval of its subject
 
 MT. Williams was absent from the chamber when his election took place. but he was soon afterward escorted to the floor by committee appointed for that purpose, and after the cessation of the applause. he spoke at some length, thanking his fellow members for the confidence reposed in him and promising to serve them to the best of his ability.
 MT. Williams made no mention of tn e financial situation. He emphasized the advice that the Democrats should resist overy tendency on the part of the ad- ministration toward executive usurpa- tion and declaring that the Republican party is more divided now than 1t has ever been before. He advised the mem bers to stand together on all essential lines ct action.
 Candidates for the other offices were designated as follows:
 Clerk of the House-Charles A. Ed wards, Texas.
 Sergeant at Arms-J. Tellington. North Carolina.
 Doork eeper--H. E. Graper. Tennessee.
 Postmaster-P. L. Douglas, South Carolina.
 Chaplain-Rev. E. N. BagIey. District of Columbia.
 These nominations are merely com plimentary, as it is recognized that the Republicans will organize the House. There are however. some minor offices which the Democrats are permitted to fill, and over one of them, that of Depu- ty Sergeant at Arms. to fill the place formerly held by Ike Hill of Ohio, the principal contest of the caueus occurred
 There were four candidates for this office. including Robert E. Covert of Texas. and Frank Flint of Georgia Two ballots were required to settle the dispute, but in the end. Mir. Covert won bv a handsome majority. Nominations were made for other special offices as follows:
 Paul D. Porter. Pair Clerk: F. B. Knight and J. J. Sinnott, Messengers.
 The offices disposed of. Mir. Hay of Virginia, introduced a resolution de- claring 1t to be the sense of the caucus that bill for the revision of the tariff should be immediately introduced and
 (COntinued on Page Nine.)