The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-20
CROWDS JAIN CAPITOL
TiptOe for Crumbs of Fact
About Compromise.
REPORT MADE AT 9 O'CLOCK
Committee Hands Speaker His
death Warrant" which He Ae-
cepts with a Smile, While All Ears
Are Strained when He Calls for
Notwithstanding Of Committee.

The corridors We're damned with people
when the members of the compromise
committees from the two factions ar
rived at the Capitol at o'clock yester-
day morning.
II was realized by both sides that this
conference would represent absolutely the
last effort TO reach settlement. and
that in failing In this, the fight would
Immediately be taken up on the floor of
the House. to be waged to a finish.
The only point involved in the compro-
mise conference was whether the Speak
er should be eliminated from the Commit
tee on Rules
The Cannon forces realized that the in
surgents controlled the situation and their
request that Uncle Joe be spared this
humiliation was more in the nature OF a
asai appeal than as suggestion
Demand End of CannOnism.
The insurgents were willing to accept
the regulars concession OF enlarging the
Committee on Rules from FIVE 10 ten.
instead OF to fifteen. and 10 have II
elected by the House, but the insurgents
refused absolutely 10 enter into any com
promise which did not provide for the
elimination of the Speaker from the COM
mittee
The insurgents on the conference COM
mittee were willing to accept a com
promise resolution which would postpone
the operation of the elimination provi-
sion until after Uncle Joe's7 term had
expired. but this proposition was not
acceptable to the radical wing of the
insurgent band-to such men as Muir
dock, of Kansas: Cooper, of Wisconsin;
Poindexter, OF Washington. and others.
Argued for Compromise.
The insurgent wing was represented at
this final compromise conference by Nor
ris of Nebraska Hayes of California.
Gardner of Massachusetts. and Lenroot
of Wisconsin. The Cannon forces were
represented by Tawney of Minnesota.
Smith Of Iowa. Mann of Illinois. Payne
of New York, and Dalzell of PennsyI-
vania.
The early morning crowd. always seek
! ing the center of activity. had gathered
down I'm the corridor at the door Of the
Ways and Means Committee room. where
the conference was being held The Can
non conferees were the first to file out.
and it was apparent from their gloomy
appearance that the effort to reach a
mutual understanding had failed The
insurgents, on the other hand. emerged
from the committee room smiling and
confident
Cannon Hears "DeatI warrant"
It was then Il O'Clock. The Cannon
conference committee proceeded immes
diately TO the Speakers room. where
they reported to him the result of their
efforts. The report amounted practi-
cally to the signing of Uncle Joe's po-
litical death warrant, but the old man
accepted 1t with a smile and said,
/ We'll. gentlemen. I am ready TO take
the question before the House"
The insurgent committee in the
meantime had called a conference OF
| the Republican insurgents. They sub
mitted the question there whether the
/ insurgents. as a whole. would be will
ing TO accept proposition which would
allow Uncle Joe to serve out his term
as a member of the Rules Committee
and then retire. The more radical of
/ the insurgents declined 20 entertain
| this suggestion. and the negotiations
were formally declared of. when WORD
was sent to the Cannon forces that the
fight would be taken up on the floor
of the House