Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-16
Champ Clark Declared Con-
sress Had Been Asked to
Stutify Itself to Escape Being
Persona Non Grta.
CLAYTON OF ALABAMA
MADE PLEA FOR BILL
IN SPEECH IN HOUSE
Measure Had Previously Passed the
Senate, but IL Met Its Waterloo Be
fore the Lower Branch of Con-
gress.
BY Ralph Smith

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1k-The Georgia
dsIexntion divided on the proposition in
the house today 10 remove Senator
Knox.s disQualincations and enable him
TO accept q seat in President-elect Taft's
cabinet.
EIGHT OF the eleven members voted
Msssrs. Lee. OF the Seventh, and Howard
OF the Eighth. voted TO pass the bill de-
crsasing the salary Of the secretary OF
stats
The others, except the absentees.
Messrs. Edwards, OF the First; Grtggs.
Of the Second. and Lewis. OF the Third
voted squarely against the proposition
IL developed later that Aessrs. Bartlett,
Of the Sixth, and Adamson. Of the Fourth.
were paired and their votes were with
drawn by them
The action OF the house In defeating the
motion to suspend the rules and pass the
enabling act does not necessarily mean
than Senator Knox's disQualincations win
not be removed.
Still Another Chance
There Is stim another chance to pass
the act by taking IT up in its regular or
der when only a majority vote will be
required Under the procedure today
two-thirds vote was required and this
was not obtainable-
One hundred and seventy-nine members
voted to suspend the rules and pass the
bill: one hundred and twenty-three voted
against a suspension Seven members
answered present, indicating pairs. Two
hundred and six votes were required to
suspend the rules. SO that the Dill was
lost by a margin OF 81 votes
The division generally was along party
lines. though IN some instances the Dem
ocratS voted for the bin. and in a few
other Republicans Fnasd against IL =
Clayton Favors Bill
Mr.. Clayton. OF Alabama, Democrat IN
favoring the bill. said that II offended
against no provision OF the constitution
and that its enactment into law would
not be in violation of the organic law
OF the land. The bill. he said. sought
simply to reduce the annual compensa-
ton OF the secretary OF state, and that
congress clearly had the power to make
such reduction
Tor that reason he said, Il favor
the bin in order that Senator Knox may
assume the duties OF his ONCE"
1dr. Clark. OF Missouri. opposed the bin
which he said was simply an effort 20
override the constitution. not a statute
I'VE are asked to stultify ourselves"
he exclaimed. and that is exactly what
II amounts 70. for fear that we viii not
be persona grata at the white mousse
Raises Point of Law
Representative Mann, Republican. OF
Illinois. opposed the passage OF the bill
on the ground that Mr.. Knox's appoint
ment TO that position would be uncon-
stitutional whether the bin was passed or
not He said he did not intend TO be a
party 10 a conspiracy TO violate the con-
stitution-
I'VE have had" said Mr. Mann. "some
criticism OF the present president. because
he was not a lawyer or Judge and did not
fully appreciate the provisions Of the con-
afitution. and we had hoped that the next
president, both a lawyer and a judge
would consider the constitution inviolate
and sacred / am not In favor OF forcing
him TO its violation"
Further opposition came from Mr.. Gil
lesple, OF Texas. who charged that the
bin was an attempt TO amend the consti-
tuition by legislative enactment. He said
he would forever feel Inundated II the
congress passed any act to override H.
Hardwick Opposes Bill
The bin was also opposed by Messrs.
Rucker, OF Missouri: Hackett, Of North
Carolina; Hardwick, Of Georgia; Henry,
Of Texas: Webb. OF North Carolina;
Mann, Of Illinois. and Cochran, of New
York and advocated by Messrs. Parker,
Of New Jersey; Lassiter, OF Virginia; De-
Almond, Of Missouri. and Gaines. of West
Virginia.
As the result OF viva vOce vote on the
bill. Speaker Cannon declared that II had
been carried. but Mr. Rucker rallied the
opponents Of the measure and forced a
ron call BY a vote Of 17s TO 122. in which
all party lines were broken. the bill was
rejected, the necessary twO-thirds requir-
ed TO suspend the rules not being forth
coming.
Immediately after this result was an
nounced the committee on rules met, with
a view 20 bringing I'm a rule whereby the
bin could be passed by a majority vote
Comes Up Again
After being in session few moments
the committee reported a rule to take
up the bill this afternoon and dispose
OF II.