The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-19
SPEAKER CANNON'S DAY OF
 RECKONING IS POSTPONED
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 --~--~------~-~>---~->-~,- clare it will be. if they are urged to sac rifce the cardinal principle for which they contend-the emasculation of the speaker S dictatorship over legislation-must end in defeat and ruin the party in the com ing election. These friends of the speak CT have appealed to his party loyalty and its welfare not to interpose his own personality between a chance for vic tory without honors and certain death to the old regime.
 Status of the Fight This is the status of one of the great est of American legislative contests at the end of the second day of the struggle. It represents the realization as a result of today's two armistices, but none of these facts appeared upon the surface of things or were evident to the great crowds of spectators which packed the galleries in anticipation of a repetition of yesterdays dramatios and dynamics
 At times the speeches today were more than ordinarily lively and interesting, but after the dawn of day the session dragged along lstlessly aSs compared with what took place yesterday and last night. The membership of the House was worn and tired. Its fire was subdued. The limits of physical endurance were beginning to tell upon those who spent most of the early morning hours upon the floor or upon couches in the cloak rooms. Occasionally there were scattering shots. but the heavy cannonading of the night before was missing.
 Those who thronged the galleries were disappointed in their expectations of ex- ctement and turmoil. Plainly the lead CTS in this three-cornered contest were catching their breath and awaiting the next attack. The only public intmation from the floor that compromise might be effected came during the speeches of Representative Townsend of Michigan and Martin of South Dakota. Willing to Change Rules MT. Townsend, who has charge of the views of the administration in the mat ter of proposed railway legislation in the House, styled himself near in- surgent and indicated a willingness to have the rules changed so as to substi- tute for the speakers present methods of control more representative method of steering business through the House, but did not make his position definitely clear as to how he intended to vote upon the specific questions pending. Like Rep resentative Martin. however, he appealed for square settlement of the matter within the party itself through compro- mise.
 Mr. Martin went further and offered resolution calling for the appointment of a committee on rules, to consist of 10 members, six republicans and four dem ocrats, and not to include the speaker in | it's membership. He favored the adop- | ton of his resolution or something like | it in place of the one offered by Repre- | sentative Norris
 | While his speech was being made plans were being perfected for recess, during which the first conference between rep resentatives from the regulars and in- surgents might be held. The motion for this recess was moved by Martin and was carried by vote of 161 to 151. Eight insurgent republicans, Messrs. Fish and Foellxer of New York, Kinkaid of Ne- braska, Pickett of Iowa, Woods of Iowa, Volsted and Miller of Minnesota and Kendall of Iowa voted with the Cannon forces in favor of this recess. But for these eight insurgent votes it could not have been carried.
 Working on Compromise | The compromise overtures began at once Vice President sherman visited the | floor of the House and held number of conversations with his friends there.
 Messrs. Payne. Dalzell Smith of Iowa. Tawney and Mann, representing the Cam | non forces, assembled at once in the com
 mittee room of Floor Leader Payne. They were soon joined by Messrs. Gardner of
 Massachusetts, Hayes of California, Mar
 tin of South Dakota, Townsend of Michi- gan and Norris of Nebraska, the latter being present as the author of the resolu- tion upon which the speaker has for
 more than "A hours refused to make d ruling.
 Members of this conference came and went from time to time. and consulted their colleagues in other parts of the cap. itol. At the end of the conference it was apparent that no compromise could bt effected on the basis of sacrifice of the two principles for which the insurgents and democrats were contendiny, the cleo.
 ton of an enlarged committee on rules b,