Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-03-21

membership in. the a!l-powerful COM
stock of power.
Amid scenes of widest disorder, Tor
the like of which one must go back TO
the exciting days just prior to the CIV
il War-perhaps even those times
might not duplicate 1.-THE veteran
Speaker, almost "A years old, stood
erect and defiant, his head "bloodied
but unbowed.' And at the END, Wnen
big Texas Democrat, accepted the
Speakers daring challenge and INTRO
ducel a resolution to fling him out OF
the Speakership, the Republcans' reg
ulars and Insurgents, with few exceP-
tions, rallied with almost unbroken
party front ard gave him vote Whlch
almost offset the "repudiation of Can
nonism.''
This is what happened:
By a vote of 19l to 15J, the Repubn-
can Insurgents voting solidly with the
Democrats, the House adopted the res
olution of Representative Morris, Re-
publican, of Nebraska, requiring re-
organization of the Rules committee,
increasing its membership from five to
~, anu ucCldi t'S DPN-
bic to membership thereon.
BY the curously identical vote of
1871 to 155-but with decidedly differ
ent personnel of alignment-the House
defeated resolution of Representative
Burleson of Texas. declaring the
speakership vacant and ordering an
immediate election of successor to
Mr.. Cannon.
The Morris resolution, which was
adopted, is as follows:
"rhere shall be q committee on rules
elected bv the House (hitherto the
committee of five, like all other House
comrnittees has been appointed by the
Speaker), consisting of 10 members, SIX
of whom shall be members of the ma
Joritv party and four of whom shall be
members of the minority party. The
Sneaker shall not be member of the
committee and the committee snail
elect its own chairman from it's own
members.
"Resolved further. that within the
10 days after the adoption of this res
olution there shall be an election of
this committee and Immediately upon
it's election the present committee on
rules shall be dissolved"
Here is the resolution of Represen-
tative Rurleson, which was defeated:
"Resclved. that the office of Speaker
Of the House of Representatives Is
hereby declared to be vacant and the
House of Representatives shall at once
proceed to the election of Speaker.
Speaker Cannon declined to COM
ment upon the extraordinary events OF
the day. He was in his office sur
rounded by three or four loyal friends
when a newspaper man approached
him and asked him what he had to
say about his victory"
"Oh, nothing at ALL | guess. There
isn't any comment for me to make.
Besides. you will have your papers full
in the morning any way, and you don't
need any comment from me-
But, hasn't the newly elected
Speaker any announcement to make of
his future policy?"
The Speaker laughed. "I'll just keep
on. speaking and praying" he said.
Champ Clark. minority leader in the
House. said in the course of a formal
statement issued Friday night:
"The Republicans are on the tobog
Sull Sllut, anu IL lllc DtluOCId dlS oulSIuC
of Congress will get together as the
Democrats in the House have gotten
together. our victory this year and in
1912 will be as sweeping as those of
$50 and 1892"
Mr.. Norris. OF Nebraska, author of
the successful resolution to reorganiZe
the rules committee. said in part:
I'VE have won all that we fought
for. all that we expected to get when
we went into the last movement that
eliminated in todays sweeping VIC
ory."
CauCuses will be called Immediately
by both parties to select respectively,
the six Republicans and four Demo-
rats who are to constitute the new
committee on rules.
The oldest man in Congress makes
no pretense of remembering any par
allelS for the sensational scenes which
have characterized the past few days.
There was no comment today when it
looked as though the preponderantly
Republican House might even cap the
climax by electing Champ Clark
Speaker. In fact, not only was this
actually proposed in a motion by Mr..
Clark Of Florida, but Speaker Cannon
himself in his def to the House, de-
clared that his enemies should be con-
sistent and proceed to the election of
Democratic Speaker. Indeed, it was
his challenge to the House, daring as
it was. which instantly provoking the
Burleson resolution for his dethrone-
ment, turned the tide again in his
favor, and rallied the Republicans,
regulars and insurgents, together,
with few exceptions, to the point of
what may be termed a vote of conf
dence.
Throughout all. the aged Speaker in
variably calm, stoical, consistent to
the end, stood in his place, his gavel
with steady thumps upon his desk,
punctuating the riotous confusion. Up
on the conclusion of the vote which
cast him out of his place of power at
the head of the rules committee, he
asked the Indulgence of the House
for three minutes Many Republicans
recalled the Speakers retort when
they proposed to nominate him on the
Roosevelt ticket for the Vice Presi-
dency-"They can't make a political
pJInllch nf hn af