Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-01-14
CANNON MACHINE DOKNKD.

The Cannon organization forces of the
National House Of Representatives were
defeated for the first time last Friday by
the Republican insurgents in coalition with
the Democratic minority.
The rout Of the regulars came at the end
Of an afternoon Of acrimonious discussion
over the proposed investigation of the
Ballinger -Pinchot controversy, when, by a
majority of four the Insurgents and Demo-
Gratis blocked the plan of the Rules Com
mittee for the appointment of the House
section Of the proposed investigating COM
mittee by Speaker Cannon By a vote of
l49 to las the joint resolution authorizing
the Investigation was amended so as to
give the House itself the right to name the
six members Of this committee who are to
look after the interests of the House in the
probing Of the scandals.
II was the first blood the Insurgents have
ever drawn in their long fight with the
Cannon forces, and when the announce
ment Of the vote showed that victory had
been obtained by a slight but nevertheless
decisive margin the Democrats and the re-
calcitrant Republicans, whom they were
aiding, joined in a demonstration of en-
thusiasm such as seldom has been seen in
the House. 1t was quite different from the
occasion few years ago when the House
loudly applauded when a Republican mem
Der nominated Mr.. Cannon as a Presiden-
tial candidate. On that occasion the man
from Danville swelled with pride on this
occasion he crouched upon his desk and
gritted his teeth with a determination
which showed his resentment of the action
Of the men he has been endeavorng to
read out of the Republican party.
After the test vote took from the Speaker
the power to name House members of the
committee, the regulars became sullen.
Fully recognizing the futility of endeavor-
ing by votes to defeat other amendments
offered by the Insurgents, the regulars ac-
guessed in their adoption, and when the
joint resolution was put upon final passage
it was adopted without dissenting vote.
One Of the most important amendments
forced upon the leaders by the Insurgents
was the elimination of joker which would
have shut out Clifford Pinchot, former Sec
rotary Garfield and other former officials of
the Interior Department, as well as of the
Forestry Service, from representation at the
hearing, unless the investigation should
elect to call them. There was nothing in
the resolution compelling the joint commit
tee to hear Pinchot's side Of the contro-
versy. the witnesses to be summoned hav-
ing been left, under the plans Of the Cannon
leaders, wholly to the discretion of the in
vestigators
Representative Poindexter, one of the
stanchest Of the Insurgents, forced the
adoption of his amendment which gives
every former official whose conduct shall
be brought into question the right to ap-
pear before the investigating committee
and to be represented before ii by counsel
This amendment possesses additional sig
nificance since the announcement of the
Presidents dismissal of Forester Pinchot,
because it gives him the right to be heard,
also the right to have counsel on hand to
protect his interests
The strength Of the Insureent vote, in
which they were able to muster total Of
20 RepublicansIin opposition to the Speaker,
stunned the old-line leaders. Never before
had they been able to muster more than
II votes.