Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
DEATH BLOW TO
n. = CANNONISM" !"
InSurgent and Democratic Allies
Force Speaker From the
I Rules Committee.
WILL CONTINUE TO PRESIDE
Insurgents Desert Democrats on
a Motion to Declare the
! Chair Vacant.


Cannon went down to defeat today,
but when his enemies believed him to
be in utter rout he turned and forced
from them what practically amounts
to a vote of confidence. 1t was the
last play of veteran fighter and of a
parliamentarian whose hand has been
trained by years of practical expert
ence.
The speaker was forced from the
rules committee by vote of 191 to
155, forty Republican insurgents siding
with the solid Democratic vote. The
trick that the speaker turned on his
enemies was in the form of a resolu-
ton presented by Representative Bur-
Lesson of Texas, a Democrat, declaring
the speakers chair vacant and order
ing an election of Mr.. Cannon's sue
cessor. The speaker already had an
nounced from the chair that he would
entertain such a motion. 1t was
promptly voted down by 191 to 155
amid scene that is probably without
parallel in the history of the house of
representatives. Only nine insurgents
sided with the Democrats in voting to
depose Uncle Joe from the post that
he has held for seven years. AS
matter of fact the proposition to oust
him from the speakership was rejected
by majority of thirty-six, which is
ten more than the majority that the
speaker had when he was first elected
TO the office. By paving the way for
this vote on the speakership question,
which never has been directly in
g0lVed in the present fight, Mr. Can
non adroitly drew a line of cleavage
between the issue presented in his
present defeat and that known as Can
nonism. The vote will go before the
country as the best evidence that Can
non, the individual, was not the issue
In the present struggle, but that it
was the system which he had inher-
1ted from. his predecessor. 1t was a
mighty clever move on the speakers
part and it also was the child of his
own brain, as his advisers had been
urging him to throw down the gavel
and resign.
Power of Organization Gone.
The rules committee, under the in
gurgent victory today, will be changed
from the form which it has had for
half a century and the Cannon organi-
cation will be shorn of the power
which it has exercised under it for
the last seven years. The committee
will be: enlarged from five to ten mem
bers, all of whom shall be elected by
the house itself, instead of being ap-
pointed by the speaker. Of the ten
six are to be Republicans and four
Democrats. In the selection of the
members of this committee will be
found the possibility of another big
row in. the house, although it is con-
Dceded that the insurgents and the
Democrats will be able to carry out
their will in the matter if they stick
together. On this point, however, there
is a much greater chance of a split.
Nhe resolution adopted by the insur-
gents and Democratic vote specifically
aeIiminates the speaker from the COM
lmftdee..
FEom the very beginning of the fight
IN the house today it was apparent to
everybody that the Cannon organiza-
vtionI would be humbled and the con-
trolsof the house, temporarily at least,
tranSferred from the Republican nor
gmaN majority to the actual majority
Aconposed of the insurgents and the
fDendocrats. The first test vote fore
!Bhadowed defeat for the regulars and
seach succeeding vote demonstrated as
theSSdhy wore on that the insurgents
were gathering strength. Here is the
=, Nofgis resolution which caused the
row but which Was adopted:
/ 'Yherei shall be a committee on
FuIs ss, ELECTED by the house (hitherto
the cpmrhittee fof"fgeg like lalrr roaher
houaeI committees, hasabeensapp6ihted
ny 4he speaker), consisting of ten
mepa abersI six of whom shall be mem.
'bers Of the majority ph1Ay Andfduf
gcf whb ON shall be members of the mi
1norffy party. The speaker shall not
lbe member Of the committee and
the committee shall elect it's own
1chaif from it's own members.
He solved, further, fAat9 9ithactena
days after the adoption Or Of this isTrese res
Olutlph there shall be an election of
this scpmmittee and Immediately upon
It's Election the present committee on
rule shall be dissolved"