Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-06-02
Views Afoot

Views Ateet @e!!!9 !
Mr.. Smith In Battle Royal
One by one, the statements made in
this column, concerning Walter L.
Smith, have been proved and he is
coming to be truthfully known to his
people in Iowa as man who has faith
fully supported Cannon and his cor
rupt machine in Washington as oppor-
tunity offered. However, while Mr.
Smiths constituents are getting the
truth, it appears that they might as
well get it all. And there is no better
way than to glance over tine story of
THE LAST GREAT FIGHT III the House,
in which Cannon and Cannonism re-
ceived a blow that very nearly put an
end forever to their power to injure the
American people.
HOW THE BATTLE BEGAN.
1t was in the afternoon of Thursday
March II, 1910 that Mr.. Norris of Ne
braska exploded bomb in the House
by offering resolution TO REoRGAN-
IzE THE COMMITTEE ON RULES
(through which Cannon's despotic
rule was made possible) and TO Ex-
cLUDE the speaker from membership
upon this committee.
At first the republican machine lead
ers were stunned. 1t was so sudden,
and so dangerous that they We're all
but paralyzed. Then pandemonium
broke loose as the battle opened. The
mouthpieces of the Interests were all
speaking. They denounced the resolu-
tion as out of order and sought to pre-
vent any action upon it in this way.
Mr.. Norris replied that it was MADE
PRIVILEGED by the constitution, that
action must be taken, and he appealed
to Mr.. Cannon, himself, to make rul.
ing to this effect and let the resolution
come to vote
But Mr.. Cannon REFUSED TO RULE.
The trouble was that he didn't know
whether his machine commanded
enough votes to vote thGiresolutio
I down, 1t was question of how many
republicans would vote with the insur-
gents and democrats. So while the ma
chine leaders were finding out about
this, the debate on the floor waxed
more and more violent.
CANNON AND TRUSTS FACING
DEFEAT.
But the investigation of the machine
leaders showed discouraging state of
affairs. They COULD NOT VOTE DOWN
the insurgents and democrats.
So, Mr.. Cannon obstinately refused
hour after hour to rule upon whether
the resolution was privileged under
the constitution; and the debate drag
ged along into the night while the ma
chine supporters were making a des-
perate attempt to muster enough votes
to defeat the resolution which meant a
body blow to their organization.
TRYING TO WIN BY TR,CKERY.
In this THEY FAILED; and it became
necessary to resort to extreme meas
ures. So it was planned that the regu.
lar republicans should withdraw from
the House, and BY BREAKING THE QUO
RUM, prevent the vote from being ta-
ken. And while this despicable pro-
ceeding was going on, WALTER L.
SMITH, of the Ninth District of Iowa
Ito our shame, we must say it) took the
floor to deliver speech IN DEFENSE of
the old rules system and of the COM
mittee which had made Cannon omnip-
otent.
SnITH AS CANNON's OLD GUARD.
Like the Old Guard at Waterloo, he
''would die, but never surrender" 1t
was Cannon's last stand on the floor of
the House; and it was made by Walter
I. Smith, who is supposed to represent
in Congress a district which loathes
Cannonism as venemous reptile. Still
in the midst of the hopeless struggle,
and with the machine going to pieces
about him, HE CHOSE TO STAND BESIDE
His MASTER, SPEAKER CANNON, AND
GO DOWN WITH HIM, if need be, rather
than join the forces that were striving
TO BREAK THE POWER OF Special Privi
lege and of the Trusts, WHICH WERE
FATTENING UPON HIS PEOPLE.
Smith took the floor at two o'clock
in the morning. And while he spoke
the quorum was broken. 1t was not
restored for several hours and then on.
ly by sending out officials authorized
to arrest absent members and bring
them in. When quorum had thus
been secured, Smith took the floor
again. Thus, like the Old Guard still,
he went down fighting; for shortly af-
terward the vote was forced and the re-
sOlutjOn carrad prnyidinu fnr tho raor +