Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-20

product Of the Constitution" declared Mr..
Hayes of California, an insurgent. He
lis the result of an evolution under which
ipower has gradually drifted into his
| hands,
| Taking this view of the condition that
faced his party Mr.. Hayes said he was
ready to support the resolution offered by
Mr. Norris.
An effort to stem the tide of opposition
| to the Speaker and the committee on
rules was made by Mr.. Olmsted of Penn
sylvania, who in time allowed him sent
1 to the desk of the Speaker a resolution
by which he proposed that the question
Of changing the rules be sent to COM
mittee with instructions to report to the
House the first Monday OF December next.
| Prompt support for this proposition
would support it.
Mr.. Pickett of Iowa chided Mr.. Olmsted
with bringing in his resolution providing
for the reference to a committee OF the
question of changing the rules. IL the
majority had taken that action a year
ago. he said, the scenes of the present
day would not be taking place.
Not a Slap at Speaker. .
| Concluding the debate. Mr.. Norris dis
avowed any personal feeling in the eff
forts he had made for a revision of the
House rules.
This effort to change the rules said
he, lis not intended as a personal slap
at the Speaker or any one else. There
| Is no feeling against the Speaker unless
| it has been brought into this House by
the Speaker or his friends
"All over this lapd, declareasMr. Nor.
ris, "oursc0n stftusnts are pf4ying and
hoping that this movement VIII be sue
cessful"
and continued applause from democrats
and insurgents greeted this remark.
Mr.. Norris, meanwhile. had presented
| a modification of his original resolution
AS modinsa nsoy yis. IL Tor ,en n eom
instead offffseh,. six republicans and
| four democrats.+,strhe clause in the first
resolution providing for geographical
distribution OF the committee was also
eliminated.
| Mr. Norris finally moved the previous
question on his substitute. which was or
dered by vote Of 11S to l59.
I The substitute was adopted by vote
1 of 1872 to 1853. The Norris amendment
as modified was then adopted, and the
stage was st for the next dramatic act
| in the days events.
ssefz Offers House His Chair. -
| 1t was known that the Speaker would
make an announcement after the adop-
| ton OF the Norris amendment and as
the Speaker rose in his place with a
bundle Of manuscript In his hand, silence
| fell over the House and the galleries.
| The Speaker said
Gentlemen of the House of Represent.
atives: Actions. not words, determine the
conduct and the sincerity OF men In the
affairs of life. This is government py
the people acting through the represent
atives of majority of the people. Re
suits cannot be had except by ma
jority, and in the House of Represent
| atives a majority being responsible,
1 should have full power and should exer-
else that power: otherwise the majority
is inefficient and does not perform ITS
| function The office of the minority Is to
nut the majority on its good behavior,
advocating in good faith the policies
which It processes, ever ready to, take
| advantage of the mistakes Of the ma
iority party. and appeal TO the country
/ for its vindication.
Prom time to time heretofore the ma
jority has become the minority as IN tne
present case. and from time to time here
| after the majority Will become the MI
nority. The country believes that the re-
| publican party has majority or forty
| four In the House Of Representatives. at
/ this time, yet such Is not the case.
| House Has New Majority.
i
to the best Of his ability and Judgment
co-operated with the republican party.
and. so far in the history of this Con-
gress the republican party in the House
| has been enabled by very small ma
iorfty, when the test came, to legislate In
| conformity with the policies and the plat
/ form of the republican party. Such
| action Of course, begot criticism-which
| the Speaker does not depreciation the
part of the minority party.
| THE Speaker cannot be unmindful of
the fact, as evidenced by three previous
elections to the speakership. that in the
past he has enjoyed the confidence OF
the republican party OF the country and
Il of the republican members of the House,
i but the assault upon the Speaker of the
House by the minority. supplemented by
i the efforts OF the so-called insurgents.
shows that the democratic minority,
aided BY a number of so-called insur-
gents. constituting Is per cent of the
majority party in the House. is now in
the majority, and that the Speaker OF
the House is not in harmony with the
actual majority of the House, as evil
u denced by the vote just taken.
/ There are two courses open for the
4 Speaker to pursue: One Is to resign and
permit the new combination of democrats
and insurgents to choose Speaker 10
I harmony with its acts and purposes The
4 other is for that combination to declare
La vacancy In the office of Speaker and
proceed to the election of a new Speaker.
i s. Declines to Resign.
u After consideration. at this state OF
y the session of the House, with much OF
important legislation pending involving
the pledges of the republican platform
4 and their capitalization into law, be-
lieving that his resignation might con-
sumo weeks of time In the reorganiza-
ton of the House. the Speaker. being in
! harmony with republican policies. and de-
sirous of carrying them out declines by
, his own motion to precipitate contest
upon the House in the election of a
new. Speaker--a contest that might
greatly endanger the final passage of all
legislation necessary to redeem republi-
can pledges and fulfil republican. prom
Uses.