The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-03-15
Sixty-First Congress Opens Today in Extraor-
binary Session at Call of President.
VETERAN SPEAKER OF HOUSE HAS C|NCH ON JOB
If Friends of Sage Of Danvile Win in Fight Rules
Taft's Message Will Be Received on Tuesday and
Bill for Tariff Revision Will Be Introduced
Immediately.

munications and petitions relative to
tariff revision were received by the
| committee.
"The bill will not only be the result
of the honest efforts of the leading
| tariff experts of this country but will
entered into the preparation of all
other American tariff measures COM
bined."
Interesting Fight.
Tomorrow will see one of the most
interesting fights that has taken place
on the floor of the house in years. If,
as has been the custom, Mr.. Dalzell
of Pennsylvania moves the previous
question on the motion to adopt for
the Sixty first congress the rules OF
the Sixtieth congress, the ''insurgents"
and the democrats will vote together
in an effort to defeat the previous
question motion. Should they sue
ceed, they will offer a resolution pro-
viding for the election of a rules COM
mittee of Is, which will be instructed
to report to the house on the first
Monday in December a set of rules to
be adopted for the Sixty first congress.
SO confident Of victory are the al
lies"-the insurgents and the demo-
crats-that Champ Clark. tonight de-
clared he would be elected speaker If
the allies had another week in which
to prepare for the fray. This asser-
ton was based largely on the fact
that various representatives received a
nf fol tod
their constituents urging them to de-
feat Cannon for speaker 1t was said
by the democrats that many who had
thought it impossible to defeat Can
non were encouraged by the vote at
the republican caucus last night to re-
new their fight against him. It is re-
iterated, however, by insurgents" and
democrats that the fight will not be
made on the speakership. There are
Indications however, that former
President Roosevelt will receive a COM
plimentary vote from some of those
who are opposed to Speaker Cannon.
The democratic leaders tonight de-
clared they would have at least 165
members present tomorrow to vote
down the previous question, and that
the insurgents" have "a members in
line for the fight on the rules The
"insurgent' leaders declare that their
forces have been increased today
greater than on any day since the
movement was begun. Throughout the
day Minority Leader Clark and Rep
resentative Gardner Of Massachusetts.
for the insurgents" have been exert
ing every effort to whip their forces
into line.
Representative Goldfogle of New
York, who is suffering from a serious
affection of his knee, is determined to
be present if his physicians will per-
NIT He will have to be carried to his |
seat if he attends
Champ Is Busy.
Mr.. Clark learned tonight that sew
eral democrats who, it was feared, |
would not get here, would be on hand. |
He received telegram indicating that |
the successor of Representative Davey
of Louisiana will be here with his cer-
tificate in time to be sworn in to-
morrow, thus giving the democrats an |
additional and unexpected vote = |
The regulars have been as active |
today as the insurgents" and the |
democrats, and have been lining up |
their forces. They are more reticent |
about their plans.
Much will depend upon the demo-
cratic caucus tomorrow, when an eff
fort will be made to have the caucus
bind itself to the resolution which the
steering committee of the insurgents
and the dem ocratic leaders have com
promised on
A New Plan.
Representative Fitzgerald of New
York, recognized as one of the ablest
democratic parliamentarians, issued a
statement tonight opposing the plan
to elect a committee of Is to select
the various committees of the house,
and declared that whatever changes
are made in the rules should be made
before the tariff bill is taken up. He
proposes that the rule providing for a
calendar Wednesday" should be
modified so as to require two thirds
vote instead of majority. He also
suggested a plan by which any mem
bers of the house might at certain
times have the right to have any bill
not on the private calendar submitted
to the house to ascertain whether it
could be considered by unanimous con-
sent. Mr. Fitzgerald will present this
to the CAUCUS.
Representative Lassiter of Virginia
will present proposition to amend
the rules so that a communication ad-
dressed to the speaker and signed by
a majority of the members of the
house will be considered a matter of
the highest privilege