The National tribune., 1909-03-18
MIR. SPEAKER CANNON.
The Fourth Term for the IIlino,san-
Democrats Bolt Party Caucus-Insur-
gents Number 3O--"NOt Sufficient
Nulnbcp

Democrats Bolt Party Caucus-Insur-
gents Number 3O--"NOt a Sufficient
Number"
You read your favorite paper, and you
take your choice Of head lines as your
politics bias your opinions. You will
read in one newspaper that the "Regu-
lar Republican Organization is Trium-
phant. Elects Cannon. Will Win in
Rules Fight When Proper Time Comes. +"
Then you turn to an "Insurgent" newspa-
per and You read: "Rules Fight Even
Break. Speaker Shorn of Part of His
Power. Cannons Election Not a Per-
sonal Triumph" And then you read head
lines in Neutral" newspapers and if you
really want to know things, you do not
know which paper to believe. You can
! also believe there was a monkey and
parrot time. and great enthusiasm when
Uncle Joe" finally appeared. Hon. .!o-
Speaker for the fourth time. You can at
least believe that. That is more times
than any man has ever been elected
Speaker of the House. He was elected
Speaker by the assistance of Insurgents,
and altogether got 204 votes. Champ
Clark, minority leader, got 166 votes, and
there were about II scattering votes.
1
Chief Clerk Mcdowell, as is the custom
when new House is organized, and
Speaker Cannon did not put in an ap-
pearance until after he had been elected
Speaker. The Insurgents had planned to
hold up his election, but there were four
members from Iowa who, while they would
| fight the adoption of the old rules, would
not vote to hold up the election of Mr..
Cannon. These Iowans-Good, Woods.
Picket and Kendall. announced that they
would not absent themselves from the
House when the election took place, and
that they would vote, if present, for Can
non. The Insurgents were holding their
caucus, and the Democrats were holding
theirs at the same time. When the word
was carried to the Democrats that the
| four lowans would not bolt the party
caucus on Speaker, the game of 'hold-up''
on the election of Speaker was ''busted,
so TO speak.
the Insurgents and Democrats were pret-
ty well organized, and precipitated one
of the incest little parliamentary scraps
| witnessed in the House in many long
day. The ammunition was small, "side-
arms" it might be said. but the popping
went on at lively rate, and both sides
got so ratified that they scarcely knew
where they were at, until the smoke OF
the strife had cleared away, and the ste
nosraphers got the fire, OF. verbiage cleared
away from the strictly parliamentary mo-
tions: Then it was found that the break
on the rnles question Is Sd nearly even
that neither side can claim the victory.
Champ Clark, leader of 9the minority
offered his amendments. ASH agreed upon
by the lnsurgent Republicans and the
Democrats To his amazement when he
called for the previous question at once
so as TO shut Of debate, be found that
some. of his Democratic allies had bolted
and he lost his motion on the previous
question, and he also lost out on his
amendments, which were not adonted
That WAS body blow Nd 1 for the "Prot,
| estants."
Then Speaker Cannon Immediately rec.
ognized Fitzgerald New York; who pre-
sented the changes that be and his friends
wanted made in the Rules. That was a
surprise, as it was exnected that the
Speaker would recognize Republican
Fitzgerald's amendments TO the Rules
were discussed Tor an hour, in which there
was rip roaring fight on between the
young man from the Empire State. and
the leader OF the minority, Champ Clark
defeat.
The Fitzgerald AMENDMENTS were adopt.
ed, yeas, 211: nays. I7o
ana when the smoke of battle rolled
away It was round that the House had
been the plaything Of the "Bolters," the
Democrats who had left Clark's leader
snip ana zone over to Fitzgerald, and
these had been joined by the Regular
Republicans. and had carried the day for
Ia very fair set of Rules. The amend.