The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-25
Clark and Underwood Head the List of Minority To
 Assist In Making Rules
HARMONIOUS MEETING
 TAKES QUICK ACTION
Couxressman Sims of Tennessee Pro- poses Resolution to Take All Com mittees Out of Cannon's Hands
 Hut It Is Ignored
By wA1rERsoN sTEALEy

st= By PATTERSON STEALEY | I Washington, March 24.--(Special.)--- Representatives Clark of Missouri. Un- derwood of Alabama. Fitzgerald of Massachusetts and Dixon of Indiana were elected by the democrats of the House tonight to comprise the minority ' of the committee on rules under the terms of the Norris resolution forced npon the House organization by the combined democratic-insurgent vote. It has been conceded for several days that these four men would be select cd and the caucus of tonight mt .y ratifed the choice of four-fifths of the democrats. To Messrs. Clark, Under wood and Dixon there was practically no opposition.
 n1d in joining in with the Cannon forces i last winter had embittered some Of the democrats against him, but 1t was argued by the leaders that 1t would make for better harmony in the party to retain Mir. Fitzgerald in the rules committee and this view was accepted, Fitzgerald polling the entire Clark Underwood Dixon strength.
 ResuIt of the Vote
 The vote resulted as follows: Clark, [.125; Underwood, 102; Fitzgerald, 9a; Dixon, 99; Slayden. 6s; Hammond, IS: Hughes, 8; Sulzer. s; Rainey. 4 Sher- ley, Garrett and Palmer, each. Clay ton, Jones and BrantIey, each Cox of Indiana, Cox of Ohio, Sisson. Wilson |Ehackleford, Martin, Hitchcock, Burle- son, Russell, Harrison. DriscoIl and Burns, each In striking compari- ! son to the meeting of the republicans | last night the democratic caucus of Tonight was an enthusiastic one. The speeches of the members breathed |strong hope for party success this fall land allusions to the democratic victor i fes in Massachusetts and Missouri Drought out sounds of applause. Noth- ling occurred in the caucus to ruffle | the feelings of any of the members |present. Mir. Underwood and others put l lin hard day's work to prevent any |outbreak and succeeded admirably in [presenting the spectacle of a united [democratic caucus confident of convert ling Itself into majority party this |fall
 Sims Out of Order
 Representative Sims of Tennessee and Representative Jones of Virginia made speeches in the caucus in favor of a res olution instructfDg the members of the i Erules committee to oppose the appoint ment of the House committees by the Ispeaker. There was considerable discus sion of point of order against the ! Eresolution, Representative Clayton of Ala fbzma, the caucus chairman ruling 1t out |of order. An attempt was made to get 1 1t up after the rules committee had been |elected, but a motion to adjourn by i Representative Johnson of Kentucky was kcarried by a vote of s1 to 3S, thus pre- |Nenting any further debate on the sub |yect.
 \ The four men selected by the democrats l are all regarded as men of exceptional ability. Messrs. Underwood and Fitz- gerald are conceded to be the two best parIiamentarians in the House, and pe- [culiarly fitted for positions on the rules Fcommittee. By virtue of his leadership 'Mr Clark went on the committee and the selection of MT. Dixon is just recogni- i ton of the running fights made in the last ] two years by the democrats of Indiana 1 and the middle west.
 One of the features of the meeting was | the remarks of the presiding officer. Rep |resentative Clayton. in calling the caucus l to order. It was an old-fashioned dem- |ocratic speech. a declaration that the old |perty was again coming Into It's own. How the Choice Was Made Washington, March N-with scarcely 1.-the semblance of struggle the demo- cratic members of the House tonight elected the four minority members of the enlarged rules committee as follows: Champ Clark of Missouri. 125 votes; Oscar Underwood of Alabama, 102 votes; Lincoln Dixon of Indiana. 99 votes; John | 2. Fitzgerald of New York. 9S votes. There was long hst of candidates who |received scattering votes, Representative |,Slayden of Texas receiving 69. the highest |number given to an unsuccessful candi- .date The otal vote of the caucus was Il40. which required n votes to elect. The expected fight on Representative |Titzgerafd, because of his attitude on the Ivules question at the beginning of the present session. when he, with B other l |den1ocrats, left the leadership of Champ Clark and voted with the republicans. |materialixed early in the meeting, but Hailed to accomplish any defiite result. Representative Sims of Tennessee headed |the faction which opposed the selection |of Fitzgerald and introduced a resolu- .tion proposing to instruct the democratic |members to support resolution to pro- vidc for the election by the House of
 committee to select all of the stand
 Ing committeees. which power of selec- Hon is now vested in the speaker The n1sxhnum strength shown by the follow eF of Sims was 3S which they boiled hGairst aASnotipn to adjourn. The Sims regoiution did not come to. a vote by req son of thu Adoption of motion to ad- 5oyirn before he had an opportunity to tet 1t up for consideration.
 Resolution of Sims
 gshe Sims rasolution follows:
 ssResoiyed by the democratic members
 kfgthe Tbou of the Sixty-frst Congress-.
 caucyus ssembled. that we hereby in-
 th, democratic members of the
 Ne ed by this caucus to support
 & < ion or bill seeking to take from
 fN of the House of Representa-
 power to appoint the standing
 \, fk s of the House and that they
 Honorable efforts to bring about
 3 Rhange in the rules of the House
 ~shve committee on committees,
 h,ected by the House, whose duty 1t
 ne to appoint all the standing com
 ~. inc caucus adjourned Mr. Sims
 Sncsa thst' bs VceaA proese sa' oa>s'