New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-04-08
HOUSE LEADERS LOSE:
ONE PER CENT ON OIL
rNNON IND COMMITTEE
PROTEST T4INLT.
~Tusurgents" and Democrats Uin-
Other " ayS and Means Amend
meuts Upheld.
IRON The Tribune Bureau !

Washington. April by Tar the most crush
+nF and unexpected defeat which has been en-
-o,,n+e-ed hv the House organization since
sneaker Cannon assumed control was expert
.rca3 to-day when the duty on petroleum and
,,e nroducts was fixed at the nominal figure Of
H., ,er cen- ad valorenl. This action was taken
4. .l7e face Of 4 vigorous speech in opposition
b1- Sneaker Cannon and over the protests Of the
Wsvs and Means Committee, which had agreed
:, the substitution of % per cent duty in
-rsce ot TIE countervailiug provision contained
N tbs Psyne bill when it was reported to the
House.
b far the most significant feature Of the
struggle the fact that the vote was taken
,r tho committee Of the whole House where no
record Is kept. Tho original insurgents" aug
rnented by half a dozen regular Republican mem
here made the defeat of the organization pos
sfble This coupled with the loud tenunciations
of Standard oil which filled the debate will
rrobably prevent the House leaders from chang
ing the vote when il is taken into the House
proper on Monday The only test Vote taken
vss on an appeal from the decision on a point
Of order by the chairman. AIr Olmsted. of Penn
sylvana- which resulted in defeat for the
organization bv 16S to 136.
The WAYS and Means Committee was upheld
in all its other amendments. The duty on bar
ley was retained at 10 cents a busheI: the tax
on barvtes was raised from - cents to 81 so
ton: tea and coffee were placed on the free list
while minor changes in the Tactic acid and glue
schedules were also agreed to.
The responsibility for the victory Of the in
surgents~ and Democratic forces rests largely
upon Representatives Olmsted of PENNSYLVANIA
and vreeland, of New York, both of whom were
anxious that the oil duty should not be reduced.
vREELAND OFFERS AMENDMENT.
When the vote on the barley schedule had
been announced. Representative Vreeland Of
fered his amendment. which was provided for
under the rue. to strike out the countervailing
duty on oil and replace II by duty OF - per
cent al valorem- The amendment was reported
and Mr.. Nreeland spoke in favor Of oil At this
point representative Norris. OF Nebraska. Of
fered an amendment reducing the duty TO l per
cent The point Of order was made that the
rule specifically provided for the amendment al
lowed by the committee Representative De
Armoud. of Missouri, pointed out that the
amendment had been offered by Mr.. VreeIand;
Vas. therefore, not committee amendment.
and was susceptible OF further amendment. A
long and technical debate ensUed and Mr. Ohm
sted ruled that the Norris amendment was out
Or order Representatives Clark, Sharley and
Norris Immediately appealed from the decision
of the chair, and Mr.. Olmsted entertained the
motion. It was here that the iron hand OF the
Speaker might have changed the proceedings.
j X asserted that he would have refused 10 al
low vote on the appeal but Mr.. Olmsted. who
Is being iauded by the Democrats as an ideal
rresiding officer. called for vote, and his rul-
Ing was overthroH-n. los TO 1876. He is being
criticised tonight for having taken this course.
although it is pointed out that if he had re-
fused To entertain the appeal. procedure al
lowed by the rules. but seldom exercised he
would have been subject 20 much harsheT de
nuuciation for ''gagging the House"
When the viva voce vote on the appeal was
aken Mr. Olnsted announced that his ruling
had been sustained. but AIr. Norris Immediately
demanded tecrs. and the result was the re
verse Among the Republicans who passed be
tween the telicrs in favor Of the Norris amend
ment were Messrs- Gardner. Hubbard, Kuster-
mann. Madison. Townsend. Martin Pondexter
Murdoch Rowland. Hanna. Gillett. Nelson
Morse Cronna. Lindberg Volstead, Lenroot
Kopp. Miller. steenerson. Good. Davis, Norris
and Cooper. Mossrs. Broussard and Clark,
Democrats voted with the House organiza-
dor
HOUSE LEADERS DISNATED.
When the vote was announced it was evident
that the House leaders were disnayed. but after
some consultation they decided that they could
y
were given them 10 collect their full strength.
Champ Clark the minority leader. moved,
however. that debate on the amendment he
closed in fifteen minutes and when this carried
the leaders lost heart Representative Camp
hell of Kansas. made q strong speech against
the amendment and was followed by Repre-
sentative Cooper, of Wisconsin. who castigated
rhe Standard OIL Company and the House lead
e-s in n manner seldom equaled in the House.
He charged that the leaders had allowed vote
IN free lumber free hides and free barley, but
that they would not allow a vote on free
STANDARD oil" ,uring his speech Speaker Can
non sat Immediately in front Of him. and Mr..
Cooper's finger was repeatedly shaken in the
face Of the iron duke
Hardly had the member from Wisconsin taken
his seat than Mt. Cannon arose. and after ex-
planning that he took the floor only to defend
the independent oil producers in his own dis
'trict. began an assault on demagogues and agi-
1ators which plainly aimed at the "insur-
gents He declared that would go fur
ther than he in the suppression of the Standard
oil Company by interstate commerce reguIa-
lions but that he was dsgusted with these
demagogues who crow and flap their wings
without facts behind their rawlings" During his
speech he waxed vehement, pounded the desk
and waved his arms in characteristic manner.
The speech. however, availed little, as the Nor
l1s amendment was Immediately passed on a
Viva yoce vote.
BARLEY AMENDMENTS LOST.
The barley schedule was thrashed out inme-
distely after the session began. The pending
Hrnendrnents were one by Mr. Miller of Kansas
increasing the Payne bill rate from Is to 25
cents a bushel and the other by Mr. Alexander.
of New York fixing the rate at 10 per cent ad
Nalorem. AS a substitute for both amendments