Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-16
CANNON GWEN ASCARE
Ipsurgent Republicans Combine
With Democrats and Give
House Leader a Jolt
MAY YET FORCE NEW RULES
Power Of Old Organization Maintained
by Very Narrow Margin and May
Be Overcome at Any Time = First
Gun Fired Battle That Promises to
Last Some Time.

Washington, Dec. 16.-There came
revolt in the house of representatives
Yesterday and Speaker Cannon and the
leaders on the republican side We're
confronted for the first time with an
adverse majority as a result of an I'M
expected combination between the re-
publican insurgents and the solid
democratic strength. The fight was
solely over question of rules and was
not directed personally against Speak
er Cannon or any one else.
1t has convulsed the house, however,
because it shows that the combination
which controls things there holds its
power by a thread which may be cut
at any time. 1t was only by the clever
est parliamentary tactics and the use
of points of order necessitating an ay-
peal from the decision of the chair that
the revolving combination finally was
beaten.
leadership was threatened thru the
adoption of a motion regarding rules,
taking a resolution from regular
house committee, where it long had
slumbered This motion was adopted
by a vote of 146 to 1874. and the sue
ceeding motion was beaten only after
a hard fight, the speakers ruling be-
ing sustained by a majority of only
thirteen votes.
First Gun Of Big Battle.
The great Importance of this action
yesterday lies in the fact that it is
the first gun in the big battle which is
to be fought out for radical revision
of the house rules The insurgents
made a surprising show of strength
when all things are considered, and if
they can keep up their organization I'M
til the caucus next spring. BY which
time public sentiment is likely to be-
come aroused on the, subject, they may
succeed in forcing thru an agreement
to have the committee on rules elected
by the house, and possibly to have
some other changes made to liberalize
the rules themselves and thus secure
greater individuality for members who
are not in the little ring which con-
trolls the procedure of the house of
representatives so absolutely.
Yesterdays open revolt was entirely
a surprise to Speaker Cannon and the
house leaders Soon after the gavel fell
Representative "Gussie'' Gardner of
Massachusetts. son-in-law of Senator
Lodge, began the fight Some time ago
he introduced a resolution asking the
-tvfVfS
of representatives whether he had in
resolution recently adopted by the
house of commons in Great Britain
providing that committee Of eight
members be appointed to consider the
existing rules of the house of COM
mons and recommended any changes
that it might be wise to make.
No one knew when Mr.. Gardeners
eleven resolution was introduced that
it was loaded, but it was. 1t was so
worded that it called upon the secre-
tary Of state for information, and then
cited the exact words of the alleged
resolution in a separate paragraph.
1t was put in this form for the ex-
press purpose of allowing the resolution
to be divided if it became necessary
Too Deep for Speaker Cannon.
Speaker Cannon and the house lead
ers did not understand what the tao
tics were when Mr.. Gardner moved
to discharge the committee on foreign
affairs from further consideration OF
this resolution. All they knew was
that it was an attempt to take the
resolution out of the committee pig
eonhole where it would have slum-
bered indefinitely because 1T was so
revolutionary in its character as to
suggest that the American house of
representatives might possibly be in
terested in the fact that the British
house of commons has found it neces-
sary to revise its own rules.
The speaker and his lieutenan-s
were, of course, opposed to Gardner's
motion The usual machinery was set
in motion and as members willing to
sustain the organization were called to
the floor, to the surprise and indigna-
ton of the regular organization enough
insurgents from the republican side
voted with the democrats to pass the
Gardiner resolution by a vte Of 146 to
1874.
Twenty republicans voted against the
speaker as folloWS:
Boyd, Neb.
Campbell, Kas.
Caulfield, Mo.
Cooper, Wis.
Davis, MINI.
Ellis, Mo-
Fowler, N. j.
Gardner, Mass.
Gronna, N. D.
Rowland, 0.
Hubbard, w. Va.
Lindbergh, Mimi.
McKinlay, Call
Madison, Kas.
Nelson, MINI.
Nye, MINI.
Peare, Md.
Pollard, Neb.
Sturgiss, w. Va.
Volstead, MINI.
o1a Tor