Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-12
Under 1t Members Desiring to Be
Paired Must Apply at Desk.
WILL INCREASE ATTENDANCE
Members Frequently Absent Must
Arrange rairs in Person.
THE BALLNGER-PNCHoT AFFAIR
House Republicans VIII Caucus soon
on Naming Members of Committee
Resolution VIII Probably
Go TO Conference.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11.-An ancient Gus
tom of the house OF representatives, which
has been in use for fifty years, was over
turned today by Representative Dwight of
New York. the republican whip. when he
instructed the pair clerks at the speakers
desk to cease pairing republican members
excepting under prescribed conditions. The
move is declared by democrats and in
surgents to be a move against the latter
and intended to give the organization ad-
ditional leverage when close votes occur.
Representative Garner Of Texas, the tent
porary democratic whip. stated that Mr..
Dwight had instructed the pair clerks to
make no pairs exceDtlng on Dwights ap-
proval. This Mr.. Dwight denies, but the
upshot of the matter was that Mr.. Garner
invoked, as a counter-move. a long buried
and hitherto unobserved rule of the house,
and members will hereafter be required to
make their pairs in writing at The speak
er's desk.
Provisions of Old Rule.
For score of years or more it has been
the house custom to allow pairs at any
time without question. The almost for
gotten rule of the house on the subject
requires that two members desiring to be
paired must announce such intention at
the speakers desk.
Representative Garner in order to count
eract the move OF Mr.. Dwight gave in
structions to the democratic clerk that no
pairs were to be allowed at the desk Cx-
eepting in strict accordance with this rule
on the subject.
Under the order attributed to Mr. Dwight.
he would be able to control the voting of
absentees or those desiring to be voted.
which 1t was pointed out would not work
/ 10 tha a1,y ,Nocr $50 hn,t fvGVt
since the republican whip is working in
harmony with the regulars.
VIII Limit Pairings.
The move Of the democrats, IL success
full, may result in greatly limiting the
proposition of pairing as well as perhaps
nulllfying the effort Of the FepHbliean regu-
lars to embarass the insurgents. It would
also, no doubt, aid any insurgent who might
be laboring under official displeasure and
indiscrimination by enabling him to arrange
a pair by going to the speakers desk.
/ Representative Garner pointed out that
his move would result in increasing the at
tendance of the house, as thise members
who were frequently absent and counted
always as paired, would be compelled to
attend and arrange their pairs In order to
have them show in the record.
No caucus Of the house republicans on
the Ballinger- -Pinchot committee has been
called according to the statement of Repre-
sentative Currier OF New Hampshire chair
man of the caucus. One may issue at any
time however, and the insurgents may or
may not be bidden to take part in It, Tho
democrats will probably caucus on the sub
jcct the latter part of the week.
The Joint senate and house republican
caucus, which will be held tomorrow night
| In he Of
in no fight between the regulars and the
insurgents. Nothing but the selection of a
new republican congressional committee can
be considered under tho call and this Is
not expected to cause more than n mere
possible discussion Of insurgents in some
of the states in which some members the
committee are to be chosen. All OF the
insurgents have received the reuglar notices
Of the caucus and will attend.
, Twenty-Five Insurgents Attend.
: Following the secret meeting of the re-
publican insurgents at the home Of one of
! their number last night the twenty-five
who were present were loath to discuss
the details Of what occurred but II is
known that those present talked at more
or less length and with moro vigor upon
every subject relating TO their present
g state of insurgency and treatment they
: were receiving from the regulars. No
{ definite plan for the future has been
adopted, but the recalcitrant republicans
say they will await developments with
Z confidence in their ability to meet the
y issue to the satisfaction of themselves and
to the country at large.
The attitude of the insurgents on the
Ballinger-Pinchot investigation is stilI in a
nebulous state All who were interviewed
today expressed themselves as wanting
: merely fair and impartial committee and
. nothing more.
q Other matters affecting the insurgent
] movements are IN allegiance and nothing
: decisive will develo puntil some actual oc
casion of conflict arises.
Resolution to Conference.
e The senate resolution OF inquiry in the
s Ballinger- -Pinchot controversy reached the
n house today while that body was consid
ering the army appropriation bill The
e indication is that II win be referred TO tn,
= rules committee, where there is strong
d disagreement with the senate on severa
i Of It's provisions.
large number Of democrats and repub
= llcans win insist on that feature OF tn,
house resolution granting witnesses righ
Of counsel before the COMMITTEES, which
was stricken out by the senate.
Other differences probably viii throw
the resolution into conference.
PROCEEDING OF THE HOUSE