Evening star., 1909-03-15

OF the 16S democrats who met In party
caucus in the House Office building tbs
morning. only one, Representative Moon
Of Tennessee bolted. He went out after
making the statement that he declined to
be bound. The 167 who were left after a
the drastic resolution offered by Repre-
sentative Underwood of Alabama pro-
viding for coalition with the republican
insurgents and binding the democrats to
mittee on rules of the House to consist
of fifteen members to be selected by the
body itself from among it's membership.
Representative Champ Clark of Mis-
unanimous choice of his colleagues for
the speakership. The other nominations
for officers of the House were as follows:
For clerk, former Representative Kim
ball of Kentucky; for sergeant-at-arms,
J. T. Ellington of North Carolina and for
postmaster, Robert L. Douglas of South
Carolina No nominee for doorkeeper
was selected.
Only Five Absentees.
When the caucus began its session at
10 o'clock there were five absentees, Rep
resentative Clark Of Florida, who is III !;
Representative Legare OF South Carolina,
Representative Shepard of Texas, Repre-
sentative GoldfogIe OF New York and
hoe L. n. a
10 succeed the late Representative Davcy
Of Louisiana. Later Mr.. Goldfogle came
In and Mr.. Shepard was expected in time
to vote with his colleagues on the speak
ership and rules proposition.
The principal kickers at the caucus were
five members of the Georgia delegation,
led by Representative Livingston, who
submitted proposition in three spasms,
one that the democrats join with the in
surgents in voting for the defeat of Speak
er Cannon; second, that there be free
tariff discussion with the privilege of
amending any and all paragraphs. and
third, for a reform of the rules of the
House after the tariff proposition is out
of the way. This stirred up a row at
once, many of the democrats claim that
the Georgia proposition should have been
eliminated from the regular republican Or
ganization even IL it had not 1T was
voted down.
Then Mr.. Underwood submitted his dras-
tic resolution, and after considerable dis
cussion it was adopted.
Considered as Binding.
The caucus is considered as binding on
all who attend 1t, inasmuch as Represent
,{, Va nf A iol, IN
chairman, several times stated in response
to inquiries, that il was a caucus and not
just a conference. Here is the Under
wood resolution:
Whereas the democratic party In con-
vention assembled at Denver, Col, in
July, 1905, announced as part of the car
dinal principles of the party the follow
ing:
The House OF Representatives was
designed by the fathers of the Constitu-
ton TO be the popular branch of our gov
ernment, responsive of the public will.
1.-The House of Representatives as con-
trolled in recent years by the republican
party, has ceased to be a dellberative and
legislative body, responsive to the will OF
the majority OF its members, but has
come under ihe absolute domination OF
the Speaker. who has entire control of its
deliberations and powers of legislation
We have observed with amaZement
the popular branch of our federal gov.
ernment helpless to obtain either the con-
sideration or enactment of measures de-
sired by a majority of its members.
Legislative control becomes failure
when one member in the person OF the