The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-19
No Cheers of Victory Come
 At End of Struggle
NORRIS IS STILL DEFIANT
Champ Clark and Oscar Underwood Put Up a Valiant Fight Against Speaker Cannon's Forces and
 Are Ready to Continue

Washington, March 1S.-At 12 minutes before 5 o'clock tonight the House ad- journed until noon tomorrow, after one of the greatest parliamentary struggles in it's history. The result is nothing more nor less than drawn battle. When the final roll call came 1e4 republicans voted to postpone further action on the Norris amendment until tomorrow, and 15o dem ocrats and insurgent republicans voted to continue. With the regular republicans voted 14 of the insurgent following of Norris of Nebraska, who had left him and sided with the majority for post ponement. The result, they. say con- else than that they had only for time deserted the insurgent cause. Tho Hull in the long battle came with apparent welcome to both sides. although there was not cheer of victory from either. The hands of the big clock above the speakers desk pointed to the hour of 4:4s when the speaker put the motion to adjourn, and a general chorus of ayes came from the republican side. The dem- ocrats made no protest and there was no answer to the call for the nays. The House. for the first time in the present session, had almost its full mem bership on the floor. When the speakers gavel fell the members rose wearily from their seats and filed out through the lit- tered aisles and in five minutes the scene of the record-breaking endurance strug- gle was cleared of it's 400 principals, the galleries were emptied of the hundreds of spectators who have occupied them con- stantly for nearly 90 hours and only a score or so of janitors moved about elean- ing up the evidences of the fray
 Fierce Battle of Wits No such scenes have. been witnessed in Congress in recent years. The perfor- nance embraced every element, from the serio-tragic effort to wrest from the speaker the chief source of his power, to the songs jokes and jests which mem bers banded. during the long hours of vigil. Always there was the bone of con tention between the two opposing sides over which they fought and wrangled fiercely, but for hours at a time the scene took on the aspect of a comic opera. and laughter and applause ruled the House.
 What of the result? The unusual and dlIllOSl lntXplCdDl6 enullR cduSeQ Il thousand questions as to the meaning of the armistice Did it mean that the regu- lars had won over enough of the in- surgents to obtain a truce in the fight and time enough to rally their forces and form some new plan of action? Or were both sides weary and worn to the limit of physical exhaustion and glad of an op- portunty to defer the final struggle for a few hours and give all a chance to freshen themselves for 1t?
 We have lost nothing" said Represen- tative Norris. This postponement means not thing more than that we have de- ferred consideration of my resolution un- til tomorrow. The issue is not affected at all. and the insurgents stand solidly and unbroken now, just where they stood 24 hours ago.
 Norris Is Worn Out
 Worn and haggard. his unshaven face drawn and pale, and his eyes red and swollen from sleeplessness and hours of intense application, the leader of the lit- tie band of insurgents which has held the balance of power in the House through one of the most dramatic periods in It's history made this declaration i'm mediately after the House had voted to adjourn He, himself had voted to remain longer in session.
 ''The insurgents who voted for this post ponement did so because they believed it might provide an easier way to the ac- complishment of what we are striving for, and I do not disapprove of their action in the least. It will give us opportunity to confer with the leaders of the regulars and see how far they are willing to go in conceding us victory
 You may be sure of one thing. We shall not compromise and we will be found voting at the finish for just what we voted for at the start"
 Representative Madison of Kansas, one of the insurgent leaders, declared:
 "You can say for me that l would rather be licked to a finish than to stand for any sort of milk and water compro- mise intend to fight this thing through to the finish, and think all of the insur- gents will stand solid.'
 Regulars Are Waiting
 The regulars. following adjournment. talked over the situation informally and individually. Their mood is q waiting one. If the republican insurgents win the fight they say that upon "the allies will devolve the responsibility of legis- lation.
 The particular obstruction in the path way of agreement between the regulars and the insurgents is the proposed elim- ination of the speaker. The regulars say the speaker having committed no wrong. should not be discredited. Some friends of the speaker contend that if the House overrules him tomorrow he would "wel- come' relief from the committee. The speaker himself is silent and no state ment has been forthcoming from his office as to his point of view.
 Representative Champ Clark, leader of the minority. and his chief lieuten- ant Representative Underwood of Ala bama, were satisfied with the situation at adjournment, although. with their solid party, they had voted against it.
 Concerning the conferences of the re- publican regulars and the insurgents which were held today, and will con tinue tomorrow morning, MT. Clark had this to say.
 "They may agree upon something that we democrats can also stand for it, but don't believe it. If they get together on something that we don't believe in. we will fight 1t and you can depend on that"
 Upon MT. Clark has fallen the great burden of the past two days ba tile for the democratic side, and he showed the effects Of the long strain. When the motion to adjourn was put and car