The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-22
THREE MEMBERS GIVE
 OUT A STATEMENT
Claim They Have Been Misrepre-
 scented and Misunderstood.
The Clark Resolution h Attacked He. cause of the six Democrstic Members Proposed By lGr.
 Clark for the Cem-
 mittee of Fifteen.

Washington. March 21--Another CT. pianation was forthcoming today as to the course of certain Democrats In op- posing Minority Leader Clark last Monday by voting for the Fitzgerald amendment to the House rules.
 Representatives Keliho and Peters. Of Boston. Mass. ,and Representsffy Francis Burton Harrison, of New York. issued a statement in which thsy as. sert that so generally has the action of the democrats who voted for the ainehoments been misrepressnted and misunderstood that they wish to ore. sent those interested the facts.
 The Fitzgerald amendments are de. aended as being very effective in the
 ourtaiiment of the power of the Speaker" For six months, Represent tative Fitzgerald acknowledged as the pest parliamentarian on the Democraf ic side. had been preparing the amendments, 1t is stated, but no oppor- tunity was offered to bring them before the Democratic caucus for demonstra- ton.
 He was unable to do so because of the high handed manner adopted by s iew ili-advised friends of Mir. Clark" The statement declares that Repre- sentative Underwood took the floor of the caucus to bind the members to sup- port the Clark plan for a committee of fifteen to report next December on amendments to the rules and refused all an opportunity to amend the plan in caucus.
 Referring to the fight in the House. the three members say that when Mr. Clark offered his resolution he refused any Democrat q chance to speak.
 And then he did tho very thing ws Democrats have been deprecating and fighting against for years, he moved is bad enough to be gagged by our op. ponents. but when the murzie, was clapped upon us by our frf6ndA. We Src- tested and successfully. . | .sss ssss t.s
 Then the Fitzgerald amendmenta were offered and in marked contrast 10 MT. Clarke's action. MT. Fitzgerald ai- lowed free and full opportunity for de. which followed. lasting nearly two hours. 1t was contended that tine amendments MT. Fitzgerald offered would not remedy the abuses com plained of. The contention of . csr- tain element that the reforms secured cannot be good because of the man. ner in which they were obtained. Ia manifestIy too absurd to dignity with an answer. The truth of the matter is that so enraged was the old Re- publican machine at It's defeat that in It's anger 1t would have conceded ale most anything rather than surrender to the insurgent an inch"
 The Clark resolution is attacked be- cause of the six Democratic members proposed by Mir. Clark for the commits tee of fifteen. Not one came from Col. orado. Illinois. Indiana. Massachusetts, New York, Ohio or Pennsylvania. with nearly one-third of the Democratic membership in the present House. Ev- cry man except Representative Hitch cock, of Nebraska, represented South ern State. 1t is said.
 No encouragement to the Democracy of the great States of Ohio and Indi. ana in the mag snificent battles they are fighting" the statement concludes, mo voice to New York or to the great Mid- dle West and yet we are criticized for not supinely submitting tc such act. ion"