The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-03-17
Speaker Cannon Accepts Ills
Defeat Very Gracefully.
SAYS new RULES ARE fELPFW
Drawing For Seats Take Up Fir9
Part of Today's Session-AR
Analysis of Fitzgerald
Amendment.

Washington, March 16.-The light
ning-like switch OF votes that para
lyzed the Republican regulars and
took away q greater part Of Speaker
Joseph G. Cannon's powers has caused
the politicians to sit up and take ne
tice.
When the house assembled today
there was much suppressed excite
ment on the floor, and a big crowd Of
visitors again occupied the galleries.
II anybody was looking for trouble It
did not materiallze in the early part Of
the session. About the only thing OF
Importance taken up during that Pc
riod was the drawing for seats, which
occupied considerable time.
While the paralyzing effects Of the
downfall Of the speakers ironbound
methods have not entirely worn away
yet, the regulars and Speaker Cannon
are putting a good face on, the latter
even saying that the charges wiR
greatly aid him and afford consider
able relief. In fact, the amendment to
the rules offered by Mr.. Fitzgerald
and finally adopted is considered hV
Mr.. Cannon to be an improvement on
the present rules in many ways.
The election of house officers pre-
ceded the action on the rules. With
plenty Of votes to spare. Joseph q.
Cannon Of Illinois was reelected
speaker, receiving 204 votes as against
1855 for Champ Clark of Missouri, the
rest scattered. Then came the stun
ming surprise for the regulars with the
previous question as to the use Of the
old rules being defeated by vote OF
1893 to 189.
The~house then adopted the amend
ment offered by .Mr. Fitzgerald Dem3
Of New York, whereby the rules were
amended in several important particR-
lars. The resolution was a substitute
for one offered by Mr.. Clark Of Mis-
souri,.
vote Of 211 to 172.
| AS analyZed by parliamentarians
the amendment makes three impor-
| tant changes. First, 1t establishes a
calendar for unanimous consents"
the effect of which is to enable mem
ber to have proposition brought be-
fore the house without having to go to
the speaker for recognition. This
change, they say, will be a relief to
the speaker. Second, when considera-
tion of a bill is concluded and the pre-
vious question is ordered the rules
heretofore have provided for motion
to commit with or without Instructions.
1t has been the practice to recognize
member of the majority party to make
this motion and thus prevent the mi
nority from offering such instructions
as it may desire.
The new rule gives the minority the
preference in making such motion
and thus enables them to get record
vote on propositions which would 9th
erwise be settled in committee of the
whole house, where no record vote rs
possible.
Third, 1t protects the calendar
Wednesday by requiring a two-thirds
instead of a majority vote to set it
aside. Fourth, it is alsc claimed that
the amendment will have the effect of
preventing favoritism by the action Of
the committee on rules In special
cases.
A prominent feature of the Clark
resolution was an amendment provid'
ing for a committee Of fifteen mem
bers to revise, amend and codify the
rules, and much of the opposition to it
was because of this fact. As adopted,
the Fitzgerald amendment makes no
change in the present method OF the
selection of the committee on rules,
which is made by the speaker, nor is
there any change in the method or
selpctiu1 committees