The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-03-24
SPEAKER OF HOUSE
HAS POWER CURTAILED
By NORRIS RESOLUTION

~ hS ioSt odtuIudy tIo dlICIcI1t PRES
tige and weapon OF that Office when
the allied insurgents and democrats
took from him not only the chairman
ship of, but even membership in. the
all powerful committee on rules, the
chief asset in his stock Of power.
Amid scenes OF widest disorder. for
the like of which one must go back to
the exciting days just prior to the civil
war--perhaps even those times might
not duplicate 1.-THE veteran speaker.
almost "a years old. stood erect and
defiant. his head "bloodied but I'M
bowed" At the end, when a big Texas
democrat accepted the speakers dar-
ing challenge and introduced a resolu-
ton to fling him out of the speaker
ship. the republican regulars and in
s%urgents, with few exceptions, rallied
with almost unbroken party front and
gave him a vote which almost offset
the reputation of C%annonism.
Norris Resolution Is Adopted.
This Is what happened:
BY a vote of 1911 to 1876, the repub-
lican insurgents voting solidly with the
democrats, the House adopted the res
olution Of Representative Norris. re-
publican, OF Nebraska, requiring a re-
organization Of the rules committee, in
creasing its membership from five to
10, and declaring the speaker ineligible
to membership thereon.
BY a %curiously identical vote Of 191
to 1855. but with a decidedly different
personnel of alignment. the House de-
feated a resolution OF Representative
Burleson, of Texas. declaring the
speakership vacant and ordering an
immediate election of a successor to Mr..
Cannon.
Text Of Amendment.
Here is the Norris resolution. which
was adopted:
Resolved, That there shall be a COM
mittee on rules, elected by the House
hitherto the committee Of five, like all
other House committees, has been ap-
pointed by the speaker), consisting Of
10 members. six of whom shall be men,
bers of the majority party The speak
er shall not be a member of the COM
mittee, and the committee shall elect
Its own chairman from It's own mem
bers.
Resolved further. That within 10
days after the adoption of this reso-
luton there shall be an election of this
committee, n Immediately upon it's
election the present committee on rules
shall be dissolved"
Here is the resolution of Representa-
tive Burleson, which was defeated:
Resolved. That the office of speaker
Of the House Of Representatives. Is
hereby declared to be vacan and the
House of Representatives shall at once
proceed to elect a speaker"
6urleson Starts Real Trouble.
Great turmoil and disorder ragged
around Mr.. Burleson as he stood be-
side his desk near the center Of the
House after sending his resolution to
the desk and It's purpose became
known. His democratic colleagues sur
rounded him, some urging him to force
his resolution to a vote, other declar-
ing that he a precipitated things too
hastily.
Kitchin, of North Carolina: Hard
wick, of Georgia: Garner. of Texas.
and Shackelford, OF Missouri, VINO had
assisted him In drafting the resolution,
all shouted amid the turmoil to pay
no attention to the panicky requests
for a withdrawal of the resolution.
Several insurgent republicans ran
over and entreated him to withdraw.
1T is untimely, 1t is suicidal" they
cried through the din.
Don't offer 1t now. Don't do 1t this
evening. Wait till we have had time
to think it over" begged HInshaw, Of
Nebraska. clinging to Burleson's arm
and shouting in his ear.
Burleson paid no heed. He shook
off the pleaders and kept his eyes
fixed on the wall in front of the speak
er's desk, where Sherley. of Kentucky,
was frantically contending that the mo.
ton to adjourn had priority.
Wild TumuIt.
The speaker was steadily hammering
his desk with the gavel, but the blows
were hardly audible above the racket.
From all over that side Of the House
republicans were shouting to the clerk,
Read. read!"
They referred to the resolution which
Burleson had sent to the desk, the con-
tents Of which they did not know,
though everybody suspected what they
were.
Half a hundred had left their seats
and were shouting In the aisles when
Burleson, a few minutes later, pressed
for the adoption Of his resolution. Ro-
denberg, of Illinois, elbowed his way
from the rear, yelling at the top of his
voice, Vote on it.; show your coio-s:
what's the matter with your"
He was jostled about, but kept on
until he reached the front of the House.
where he continued his cries for a vote.
Norris in front Of the desk was de-
manding recognition and q vote on his
motion to adjourn. From all parts of
the democratic side came cries:
Withdraw 1t. withdraw. Let's put
him out now"
. Just as vehement were the shouts:
"No, don't withdraw 1t. Stand pat"
lneTe were lOuu cries from the re-
publican side when the democrats yot-
ed against an adjournment. Some of
these cries came from regular repub-
leans who began to feel tina the in
surgents would rejoin them on the
questioning Of throwing Cannon out.
The insurgent members who voted
for the Burleson resolution deposing
Cannon from the speakership were Ca
rev., Cooper, Lenroot and Nelson, all
OF Wisconsin: Davis and Lindbergh, OF
Minnesota; Murdoch, Of Kansas; Gron-
ma, of North Dakota, and Poindexter,
of Washington. None Of the Iowa
members voted for the speakers depo-
sition. .
The list of IS insurgents who voted
against the motion to table Norris APP
peal and who by their votes on that
motion made the overthrow of Cannon
ism possible, were:
Iowa-Kendall, Hubbard, Good, Haul
gen, Pickett, Woods.
Nebraska-Norris, Kinkaid, Hinshaw.
South Dakota-Martin.
Wisconsin - Nelson, Kopp, Carey,
Cooper, Davidson. Lenroot, Morse.
Minnesota-Davis, Lindbergh, Miller,
Steenerson. Volstead.
Kansas-Madison, Murdoch.
Ohio-Howland, Johnson, Taylor.
Observation-Disclosures, Gardner.
New York-Foelker, Fish.
Observation-Disclosures.
North Dakota-Gronna.