The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-23
DEMOCRATS
 IN WRANGLE Fitzgerald and Sup porters Repudiated. DECLARATION BY CAUCUS "Bolters" Are Harsh in Criticism
 of Clark. Members of Party in Congress Take Action As To Those Who Broke Away From the Minority
 Lender.

Washington. March 23-After hours of bitter wrangling, the Democratic members of the House of Representa- ttves. in a caucus which was in session until after midnight, by an overwhelm- ing vote. repudiated the Democratic supporters of the Fitzgerald amend ments to the rules. which were adopt ed at the opening of a special session of Congress over the opposition of Mi- nority Leader Clark.
 After adjournment. Representative Fitzgerald asserted that "the intro duction and proposal of the declara- tion by the caucus was 8 manifestation of the same tdiotic leadership that has characterized the Democratic Par ty for fifteen years" and that "the Democratic members of the House. in imagining that they are the Democrat ic Party. are like the three tailors of Tooley Street.
 T stand for the manhood and liber- ty of the Northern Democracy" said Representative Francis Burton Harri- son, New York, and protest against its subversion to the selfish ambitions of hot-headed. hairbrained Representa- lives. who do not even represent their own constituents
 Necessity for Rufes.
 The first discussion arose in regard to the punishment of "bolters." The committee reported In favor of drop ping "bolters" automatically from tho rolls of the caucus An attempt was made to alter this. and to provide that no "bolter" should be dropped until after his name had been duly posted. but 1t failed.
 Representative Fitzgerald was pres- ent and addressed the caucus. His re- marks were listened to attentively and no hostile demonstration was made. Several other "bolters" also attended the caucus.
 Immediately after Chairman Clayton of Alabama. called the caucus to or der. Representative Ollie James, of Kentucky, was recognized. He made a. motion. which was agreed to. that the caucus first consider the report of the committee of fifteen. and that 1t then giTs }onsideration to statement which had been prepared by the com mittee. This statement dealt with the fight on the rules of the House and the selection of committees.
 The committee of fifteen recommend ed that hereafter two-thirds vote of all the Democratic members of the House, in g. caucus. should be binding upon every Democratic member, unless he notified the caucus in writing. that he would not be bound. or unless the subject dealt with was a constitutions al question, or the member was ai- ready pledged to his constituency to vote otherwise.
 The statement contained a criticism of Speaker Cannon for appointing to committees Democrats who were not in accord with the party"
 The fact was brought out that after a long fight. the committee had decid- ed not to criticize specifically any of the Democrats who voted on the opsn- ing day of the special session for the Fitzgerald amendments to the rules and in opposition to Minority Leader Clark. Instead a general criticism was indulged in. and the offenders were left to their respective constituencies for approval or disapproval.
 The committees statement says, in part;
 "First-We deplore the action of