Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-16
Others, Under Lead of Fitzgerald,
Vote with the Cannon Men.
NORRIS LEADS THE INSURGENTS
Allowed Only Three Minutes, but
Makes a Strong Speech.
NEBRASKA DELEGATION SOLID
Iowa Vote II Split, While south
Dakota and Wyoming Are Lined
Up with the Friends of
Speaker Cannon.
1From a staff CorrespondentD

a
WASHINGTON, March 15.-(Special Tele-
gram.)- since the days of the famous
struggle between Crisp and Mills in the
Fifty-second congress has there been seen
such tumultuous scenes as were witnessed
today on the convening OF the first session
Of the sixty-first congress. In the Crisp
Mills fight the question of the speakership
was uppermost and the democrats, who
could not agree upon the speaker they be-
ing very largely in majority, had to take
an adjournment In order to get together in
caucus for the purpose of solving their
differences, Crisp finally winning out in
the fight.
Today's great battle and II will undoubt-
edly become historic, was not'so much over
the question OF the speakership as 1t was
over the question Of shearlng the speaker
somewhat of his power and patronage. In
some particulars the fight was badly con-
Quoted on both sides, but II rested with
the democrats. that is to say, portion of
them, to pull Mr. Cannon's chestnut out of
the fire by joining with the Cannon repub
licans In some modification of the rules,
which, while a long step forward, leaves
with the speaker power to appoint all
standing and select committees and trans
fers from the speaker to his lieutenants
on the floor of the house the objection to
the consideration of bills on the calendar.
Champ Clark Loses Temper.
1t was left for democrat, Fitzgerald of
New York, to present in concrete form such
amendments to the rules as he has been
striving to bring about for nearly ten years.
This was In opposition to Champ Clark's
resolution creating a committee of fifteen
members. on which Norris and Hitchcock
OF Nebraska were named, to revise the
rules and report back Immediately after
the beginning of the regular session next
December. Mr.. Clark, who had been unan-
lmously selected minority leader, lost
control of himself in sharp passages be-
tween Fitzgerald, also democrat, and him
self. and he did not cover himself with the
glory that came to Fitzgerald, who played
into the hands of the Cannon forces win
ming a victory that seemed well nigh hope
less when the fight began. It can be stated
here and now that If the democrats had
stood as solidly for a change of rules as
the insurgents did, Speaker Cannon and his
| cohorts would not tonight be exulting, for
| they had 1t in their power to shear the
'peaker of his strength.
Isaac Hill a former great democrat from
: -hio, not particularly noted for his schol-
Z
used to say that 'the democrats were
greatly afeared to get their names in a
roll call That seemed to be the feature
| OF today's great combat. There were more
democrats missing than republicans ON the
| first vote and there were still more
| democrats who changed on the second
| roll call, but the insurgents stood
| solidly for their convictions and instead
I Of twentyfour, the number necessary to
| unite with the democrats to modify the
rules of the house and place in the hands
of a committee the appointment of COM
mittees. there were thirty-one republicans
who stood solid for modification, and
Nebraska republicans were a unit in this
| regard.
| Two for Norris for Speaker.
Two of the three Nebraskans voted for
| Speaker Cannon, Norris and Kinkaid. Hin
shaw voting for his colleague Judge Nor
| ris, for speaker. did Cooper Of Wis
| consin While Nebraska republicans re-
| manned out of their party's caucus on Sat
| urday night, both Kinkaid and Norris
| made It clear that unless some republican
could he found to defeat Mr. Cannon they
would he bound by the action of the eau
| Gus insofar as a choice OF speaker went
For three months the so-caIied insurgents
have been endeavoring TO secure united
insurgent movement for another than Can
kind of a canvas It was found that Mad
ison of Kansas, Hays Of California, Gard
ner of New Jersey. lowering of Massachu-
| setts, Norris of Nebraska and Kusterman
(Continued on Third PaReN