The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-03-22
CANNON TOTTERS
Fight to Curb Speaker Re.
Sumed in House Today.
INSURGENTS ARE CONFIDENT
Opponents of Speaker Seem to Hold
Whip Hand and Feel Sure of
Victory After a Three
Day Battle.

Washington. March 19-"Uncle Joe"
Cannon. speaker Of the house of rep.
resentatives and long complete mas
ter OF that body stands in dire danger
OF being shorn of his greatest power
control OF the committee. on rules
aud possibly of being deposed from
the speakcrship itself
The big fight--bigger even than yes
terday. which was the biggest thing
the house has seen in years-came TO-
day. and until it is over Uncle Joe
himself cannot forecast his fate
What the outcome will be no one
will venture TO predict. The Republi.
can leaders spared no effort TO get
every regular Republican absentee on
the ground for the Anal vote. Practi-
cally all of those who are impaired
are in attendance.
The insurgents confidently claim
that when a final vote is taken on the
Norris resolution that their total vote
will be thirty-three. which. combined
with the full Democratic vote. would
be more than safe majority or the
house
Regulars Play Waiting Game.
The regular Republicans are playing
waiting game. II the Republican in.
surgents win the fight. they say that
upon the allies" will devolve the re
sponsibility of legislation.
The particular obstruction in the
pathway OF agreement between the
regulars and the insurgents is the
proposed elimination of the speaker
The regulars say the speaker. having
committed no wrong should not be
1iscredited. Some friends of the
speaker contend thai il the house over
rules him he would welcome" relioi
nom the committee The speaker him
self Is silent and no statement has
been forthcoming from his Office as e
bis point of view.
Representative Champ Clark. leader
OF the minority. and his chief lieuten
ant. Representative Underwood. OF
Alabama. were satisfied with the sit
uation.
Tragedy and Jest.
No such series of scenes have
been witnessed in a congress In re
cent years. The performance embraced
every element from the serio-tragAs ef
fort TO wrest from the speaker Nhs
chief source of his power To the
songs, Jokes and ribald jests that the
members banded during the long
hours of vigil. Always there was the
bone OF contention between the two
opposing sides. over which they fought
and wrangled ferceIy, but for hours
at time the scene took on the aspect
OF comic opera and laughter and
applause ruled the house
What was the result? The unusual
and almost ineXplicable ending caused
thousand questions as to the mean
ing Of the armistice. Did It mean that
the regular had won over enough of
the insurgents 20 obtain truce in the
fight, and time enough to rally their
forces and form some new plan Of ac.
tion? Or were both sides weary and
worn TO the limit of physical exhaus-
tion and glad OF an opportunity 20
defer the final struggle for few
hours and give all chance to freshen
themselves for Il?
This life-and-death struggle of Can
nonism" was preciptated Thursday
afternoon. when Representative Nor.
ris, OF Nebraska. introduced a resolu.
tion to bar the speaker from the com.
mittee on rules and make that body
number fifteen members. elected by
the house. instead of five appointed by
the speaker. On that resolution the
fight was waged without let up.
May oepose Speaker.
Startling features came with every
hour. nearly overshadowine the issue
on which the battle started. Threats
were made OF an attempt 10 oust Can.
non from the speakership. because he
refused 10 sign warrants for the ar.
rest of absent members by a special
assistant sergeantatarms. appointed
during the night when there was less
than a quorum in the house. Insur.
gents and Democrats also considered
the question of having power TO dis.
miss the sergeant nt-at-arms for failure
to bring in the recalcitrant regulars.
as one suggested. because the speaker
probably had privately ordered him to
make no arrests
Another startling development was
the suggestion. seriously considered
by some regular Republicans. that
Champ CLARK. the Democratic leader.
be elected speaker They declared
that they would follow = Democrat in
preference 10 q z R-rIhlican who defied
his own party This course would be
contingent on the overthrow of the
regular Organization.
II was even asserted by one of the
most intimate friends Of the speaker
that. IL the Norris resolution we're
adopted Speaker Cannon you'd resign.
This was quickly denied by other
friends of Uncle JOe