Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-17
ROUT FOR SPEAKER
His Decision OverruIed by a
Vote of the House.
NOT A CALAMITY, HE SAYS
Will Show Country Speaker Doesn't
Bestride World.
ISSUE NOT IMPORTANT ONE
Insurgents and Democrats Merely
Seized the Opportunity
for a Test.
ssUE NOT IMPORTANT ONE

were trimmed again yesterday by COM
bination Of 1nsurgent republicans and
democrats. Forty-two republicans voted
to overturn q parliamentary ruling by the
Speaker, And not all OF the forty-two
were dyed-in- the-wool insurgents, either.
Some Of them were of the near" variety
and a few have always been known as
regulars
In speech from the chair. just before
the vote and when it was apparent the
allies were in full control Of the situation,
the Speaker said he could get some graf
iication out Of the defeat, rs It would
show to the country that he was not as
powerful as has been charged, and that.
in fact, as he has so often asserted, the
majority of the House controls all the
actions Of that body.
| The demonstration of yesterday was
something Of a surprise to the leaders.
| who had not yet recovered from the rout
| of Tuesday. The measure attacked yes
| terday was highly unimportant and It's
| subject matter was scarcely referred 10
during the fight that followed Its presen-
| tatiOn. 1t was merely a Joint resolution,
| reported by Representative Crumpacker
| of Indiana. chairman of the committee on
census, providing for the segregation OF
| the Slavonic nationalities in the coming
census enumeration.
Claimed It Was Privileged.
Chairman Crumpacker called up this
| resolution Immediately upon the approval
of the journal of Tuesdays proceedings
Representative Fitzgerald OF New YORK
! made the point that under the rules We'd
nesday Of each week is set aside for the
consideration Of bills on the House and
Union calendars, and no measure could
displace this order of business except by
two-thirds vote of the House. MI
Crumpacker replied that the resolution
had the right of way under a privilege
conferred by the Constitution, which
transcribed the rules Of the House.
1t was brought out during the discus
sion that the constitutional privilege at
taches to every measure that comes up In
the House, and that bills relating to the
census are among them. Mr.. Crumpacker
pointed out that acts Of Congress specif1-
cally required by the Constitution, such
as impeachment proceedings, the ques-
ton of the right of member to his
seat and the taking OF the census, enjoy
a privilege that cannot be abridged by
the rules of the House.
The Speaker upheld Mr.. Crumpackers
contention, wher eupon Mr.. Fitzgerald ap-
Lacked the Needed Votes.
While the debate had been proceeding
Mr.. Crumpacker received word that while
he undoubtedly had all the argument on
his side. canvass disclosed that he did
not have the votes. Mr.. Crumpacker then
tried to beat retreat by moving that
the bill De laid aside until today The
leaders rallied their forces, but the insur-
gents and the democrats were too much
for them, and the Crumpacker motion
eight republicans siding with the minor
ity. The republicans who Joined with
the democrats were:
Fish and Parsons of New York, Ben
nett of Kentucky. Davis, Volstead. Lind
bergh. Miller. STEVENSON and Stevens
of Minnesota, Cary, Cooper, Davidson,
Lenroot. Moras. Kopp and Nelson of
Wisconsin. Woods. Dawson, Good,
Haugen, Kendall and Pickett Of Iowa,
Gardner OF MASSACHUSETTS,, Gronna of
Hayes Of California, Higgins of Connecti-
cut. Hinshaw, kinkaid and Norris of
Nebraska, Rowland, Hoilingsworth and
johnson Of Ohio, Madison and Murdoch
| Of Washington and Townsend of Mich
| igan.
Speaker Not All-Powerful.
Just before the taking Of the vote
| Speaker Cannon addressed the House at
length. asserting his reasons for the rul-
| ing and showing something Of indiffer-
ence as to what action the House might
take in the premises.
| He had just ruled that the constitu-
tional nature Of the resolution offered by
Mr.. Crumpacker gave 1t precedence over
the House rule establishing Calendar
| Wednesday," which was one Of the fea-
lures Of the Fitzgerald rules.
| Whatever may occur seemingly to re-
buke the chair. whether from piQue or
otherwise" the Speaker announced that
1 he would interpret the rules as he saw
them In turning down the Speaker Of
| the House, who has no more nor less
authority than any Speaker that has pre-
| coded him." commented Mr.. Cannon, the
real question was whether the Speaker
| does like colossus bestride the world"
| A vote was taken and the Speakers
! decision overruled by a vote Of 1888 to Ill.
Amazed at the Tumult.
Representative Crumpacker had this to
say:
Il was amazed at the tumult the reso-
| luton excited. 1t Is not q measure OF
great moment, although it has the APP
prevail of the administration. Some days
ago representatives of the Slavonic races
called on Mr.. Taft and told him that in
| the new census they desired to be listed
| as Slovaks, Croatians, or as the case
might be, instead of being classified as
| natives of Austria-H Hungary, as in pre-
| ceding censuses.
| 1T was q reasonable request, but in
| order to comply with it the director OF
| the census will have to get the authority
| Of Congress. Our committee reported the
resolution and we had no doubt it would
| be passed promptly. The Speakers rul-
i = mil onf