The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-03-23

washington, March 20-The Titan
lc struggle over the Speakership Of
the House of Representatives, which
reached its climax late yesterday in
the destruction of the Speakers pow
er In the committee on rules ID the
determination by the House to recon-
struct that committee, yet, leaving
Mr.. Cannon the Speakership itself,
may have marked not so much the
ending of the three days battle as
the bginning of a great political war.
The recognition by all factions of this
possibility was the principal feature
today of the political situation in
Washington.
| Hardly anybody here thinks the
condition of affairs after the momen-
tous battle represents any satisfactory
conclusion. The Speaker and his
friends appear to interpret the refusal
or the House to depose him as justi-
Tying them in claiming to have wrest-
ed victory from defeat, endorsement
from reputation. Not a few of the
insurgents who voted for Mr.. Can
mons retention are wondering today
II they made a political blunder;
whether their Anti-Cannon constitu-
tents will not, indeed, hold their re-
tanning him in the Speakership to
have nullified their vote to eliminate
him from the rules committee.
The Republican regulars compla-
Gently claim that the insurgents who
voted for the Speaker have returned
to the party fold. Nobody seems en-
tirely happy about the outcome. Even
in the senate the regulars are appre-
hensive lest the insurgent conflagra-
| ton may be about to spread to that
| house; the "insurgent' Senators are
| wondering whether they have made
the most Of their opportunities.
Speaker Cannon's defiant speech
last night before the Illinois Repub-
| lican Association, in which he con-
| temptuously denounced the insurgent
members of the House who stood by
him in the final test as "cowardly
members of Congress- without the
courage of their convictions" has cut
| to the quick those men who respond
| ed with their votes to what they say
they believed to be their duty to the
party and to the country, and saved
him from utter humiliation.
Today the feeling among those in
surgents was one of bitterest resent
| ment over the attitude assumed to-
wards them.
IF this to be the manner of our
treatment for saving the Republican
party said one of them today, who
refused to allow his name to be used.
this battle just ended will be follow
ed by another beside which the first
one would be but a skirmish
Il can speak for no one but myself
but if this is to be our reception, I am
done. We were not towards. We, of
the insurgents, who cast our votes
yesterday against unseating Cannon,
were the bravest men in that House.
1T took consummate courage, and it
VIII probably cost me my seat in Con-
gress. But if we are to be met with
calumny because we sacrificed our
| selves to save the House of Represen-
tatives from chaos and disorder and
to prevent the ruin of the Republican
| party, then l am in favor of carrying
| this war to the finish."
This member said he had talked
with one or two others of the insur-
| gent leaders who voted to save Cam
non, and they were in a similar
frame of mind.
when l read in the papers this
morning the speech which Speaker
Cannon delivered before the Illinois
Association last night my blood boil
ed with Indignation" said this insur-
gent.
The portion of the Speakers speech
which has thus enraged the insur-
gents who saved him the Speakership
is as follows:a
There was a new majority made
today. 1T consisted of the Democrats
ana 10 per cent. slough from the
Republican party. They destroyed
the committee on rules. Then what
did they do? A resolution was pre-
sented declaring the office of Speaker
vacant What did these men, who
nave peeh denouncing my personality,
these simOn-pure followers of Cum
MINIS and LaFollette, do then? Only
eight of them had the courage of