Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-19
PUNISHMENT NOT URGED
Advise That Matter Be Left to Con-
stituencies.
FITZGERALD RULES CONDEMNED
REPRESENTATIVE Bartlett of Georgia
Indignantly Denies That he De-
serted State Delegation.

hold the next party caucus together duu
to devise proper chastisemclt for boilers
| held a meeting today.
| After considerable animated discussion
the committee agreed to recommend to
| the democratic caucus. scheduled to meet
| next Monday night. that, hereafter, a
| two-thirds vote In caucus shall bind all
| members attending that caucus except
| on constitutional questions or on ques-
| tons to which members are committed
prior to their entrance into the House
| Of Representatives.
The committee also will recommend the
/ adoption of a resolution severely CEN
serious of Representative Fitzgerald of
New York and those democrats who fol-
| lowed him last Monday. and who sup
ported his substitute for the radical Clark
rules-revision proposition.
| The Lenders of the committee are Rep
resentatives Clayton of Alabama. Rainey
| of Illinois. Hammond Of Minnesota, Hull
of Tennessee Pujo of Louisiana. Hard
wick of Georgia, Stephens of Texas.
| Dixon of Indiana, Saunders of Virginia,
Bowers of Mississippi Denver of Ohio.
James of Kentucky, De Almond of Mis-
souri, and Kitchen Of North Carolina
| OF course, the Georgia delegation is split
wide open and shows no sign of coming
| together in a hurry. One faction of the
delegation accuses Representative Bart
| lett and Representative Hartwick Of hav-
| ing bolted the caucus of the Georgia dele
CATION. These gentlemen reply in kind.
| 1t will be d long time before the echoes
of last Mondays several rows on the
rules stop reverberating through the cor
ridors of the Capitol.
Bartlett Defends Himself.
THE endeavor to muddy the waters by
falsely charging that l bolted the caucus
of the Georgia delegation" said Repre-
sentative Bartlett today, cannot and
shall not be used as a stalking horse
behind which anybody shall hide"
| In answer to the direct charge that has
been made against Mr.. Bartlett that he
had bolted every caucus of his state dele
| CATION for the past ten years. and that he
aspired 10 the place on the ways and
means committee now occupied by Repre-
sentative Griggs, Judge Bartlett said:
! L desire to brand that statement as a
/ falsehood. and those who inspired the
story authorized the publication of what
! they knew and intended to be a false
| hood"
| In view of the fact that six members
! of the Georgia delegation voted with Mr.
! Fitzgerald and the republicans on the
1
ment of the case 10y Mr.. Bartlett is of
interest.
| Saturday last" said Mr.. Bartlett,
| "at a meeting of the Georgia delegation
! which had been previously called as a
conference. a paper was presented to me
| to sign, not as a result Of any caucus
| action, but as the opinion Of each indi-
| vidual member. The call for the con-
| ference, which is signed, contained nc
reference to nor contemplated the con-
| Sideration of any such question The
| statement was made in the meeting by
! Mr.. Howard that 1 need not feel myself
! bound to participate in it by reason OF
| having signed the call.
! The Georgia meeting took no action as q
| caucus upon the proposition presented
But when they declined to add to their
| three propositions. fourth proposed by
| me, to abide the action of the democratic
| caucus, l declined to sign the paper and
then retired.
Il did repudiate and oppose these prop
| ositions in the democratic caucus They
were voted down overwhelmingly. receiv-
| ing only about seven votes.
Supporter of Clark.
II am proud Of the fact that l am a
supporter of Champ Clark. the demo
| cratic leader. While he has not confided
| in me any more than in other democrats
that 1 am aware of. yet the men who
struck at him and the party Monday last
and joined the republicans are certainly
not entitled to his confidence or the con
fdence of the democratic party
Il did not oppose the resolution:
adopted by the Georgia conference on the
ground that they did not go far enough;
believed then. and believe now. that
they were a sham and a fraud. put up II
deceive, and in effect would aid Joe Can
non to keep control of the House. Wha
| / did Insist on was that Mr. Clark had
reached an agreement with the insurgen'
republicans which would be submitted t.
the general caucus Monday for its appro-
val. This agreement was presented to the
caucus and approved by 1t Monday, ant
this agreement provided that the contro
of the committee on rules should be taker
out Of the hands of the Speaker ano
placed in the control of the House.
1.-The Georgia delegation has not held a
caucus since 1906 for any purpose, not
even for the selection of the member o.
the congressional committee. Since ii i:
charged that / bolted a caucus of the
time when and on what subject or stanc
! branded as falsifiers."
Criticism Of the Boilers.
Members of the committee of fifteer
said this afternoon that in the resolution
which they will urge the caucus to adopt
the boiling democrats will be handled
without gloves. The report will analyzt
in detail. from the viewpoint of a '.regu-
lar" democrat. the Fitzgerald rules. for
which the boilers voted, and will endeavoI
to develop that nothing has been accom-
plished but that on the contrary, Speak
er Cannon is more firmly intrenched thar
ever in his "despotic'' power.
The committee will endeavor TO make
clear that calendar Wednesday, is
fake of the first water, that the two
thirds vote provision is Joker of high
degree. and that the Unanimous consent
ever perpetrated upon the American peo-
Pile
| Referring more specifically to the bolt
ers. the committee will apologize to the
American people for their insincerity to
the democratic party. but will disavow al
responsibility for their action
In conclusion, the report will suggest
that no punishment be inflicted upon the
| boilers by the party caucus. but that this
question be left entirely with the boilers
constituencies.
Caucus Call Issued.
Chairman Clayton already has issued a
call for the general caucus Monday night.
and it is practically certain that the re-
port of the committee Of fifteen will be
adopted just as 1t is submitted, in spite
of efforts now being made to have the
tenor of the resolution of condemnation
toned down.
The six Georgians who Joined with
Speaker Cannon's forces Monday las
ton. and have forwarded 1t to the press
of Georgia for publication Sunday morn
ing. They decline at this time to discuss
the nature of their dissent. 1t Is practi