The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-03-22

SeCuClVe Toll calls Dy mdJor1IlSS rang
ing from seventeen to forty, and after
throwing him off the Committee on
Rules, which had been the citadel of
his power in the House, the Republi-
can insurgents turned squarely around
and helped to give him tremendous
vote of confidence, which was tanta-
mount to re-electing him to the
Speakership by majority of thirty
six, ten more votes than the majority
had given him upon his election to
the place a year ago.
Only eight insurgents voted against
Mr.. Cannon on the last roll call. BY
the other insurgents the result is re-
garded as long step toward har-
mony in the Republican party and the
election of a Republican House next
November. BY the regulars it is
openly hailed as a great victory for
the Speaker, and their rejoicing not
only filled the House with cheers, but
is yet resounding everywhere they
meet.
The Norris resolution, providing
for the election of an enlarged Com
mittee on Rules on which the Speaker
should not be member, after having
been amended so as to avoid the divi-
sion of the House into groups, as at
first proposed, and making the mem
bership of the new committee ten in
stead of fifteen with election by the
House within ten days, was adopted
by vote of 1911 to 155 after long
and exciting day of roll calls and de-
bate.
Then came a speech from Mr.. Can
non, in which he declared that only
two courses lay open to him-one
was to resign, the other, to entertain
a motion to declare the Speakership
vacant He refused to resign, first,
because it would cause a chaotic con-
dition in the House through the ne
cessity of effecting reorganization in
mid-session, thereby endangering the
important Administrator legislation,
and, second, because resignation
would be confession of either error or
misdoing, neither of which he would
admit So he urged the new major
ity to put it's strength to the test, to
show the courage of it's convictions,
and submit the motion vacating the
Speakership.
Mr.. Norris, the insurgent leader,
whose alertness had brought about
the possibility of administering the
defeat to the Speaker, sought to have
the House adjourn, but as has often
happened when the Republicans find
themselves in hole, a Democrat was
found in the person of Mr. Burleson,
of Texas, who was ready to help pull
them out again.
IL hod hnoT1 " Mr. ITO VI
of Minnesota, the chairman of the
Appropriations Committee and a
stanch Cannon supporter. He leaped
into the breach with the desired reso-
luton, and, despite the strenuous eff
forts of the insurgents to stop him
and the obvious and openly expressed
hope of the Republicans that he
would go ahead, insisted on pressing
it to vote.
1t was highly emotional moment,
and excited members from both sides
OF the House crowded into the we'll,
shouting and gesticulating, until at
one time it looked from the galleries
as though personal encounters must
surely occur. The insurgents had no
time to confer and settle their course.
Insurgents Trapped Cannon.
This was how the trap was laid for
Speaker Cannon and how he stepped
into it:
Mr.. Crumpacker, of Indiana, de-
sired to put in an amendment to the
Census bill. On calendar day in the
-Wednesday-an innovation
caused by Representative Fitzger-
AIDS amendment to the rules was
forced on Speaker Cannon by the in
surgents and Democrats. The use of
calendar day to the average legislator
is that he has a chance of getting his
bill before the House, even if it is not
liked by the Speaker, if he can get it
reported from committee. Ever since
the Fitzgerald amendment was forced
on the regular organization repeated
efforts have been made by the or
ganization to defeat its purpose.
On calandar day the amendment
to the Census bill was offered as a
privileged measure under the Consti-
tuition, therefore taking precedence
over the House rules The Speaker
ruled that the amendment was in
order. An appeal was made to the
House, which overruled the Speaker
This was done because the Democrats
and insurgents recognized the fact
that a direct attack was being made
on calendar day, which was the only
concession that they had been able
thus far to force from Cannon on the
rules.
Hacing accomplished this, on roll
call the House meekly accepted the
Crumpacker amendment as privileged
matter, and everything looked lovely
until Mr.. Norris, of Nebraska, insur-
gent Republican, arose, and, being
recognized, said:
Mr.. Speaker. present resolu-
ton made privileged by the Consti-
tuition"
The Speaker hesitated moment
and then answered.
IF 1t is a resolution made privil-
eyed by the Constitution, the gentle
man will present it,"
Mr.. Norris then presented the now
famous resolution calling for election
of the Rules Committee by the House
and eliminating from the Rules Com
mittee the Speaker.
Mr.. Dalzell, of Pennsylvania, was
on his feet in an instant with II make