The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-21
Great Political War In Con-
gresS May Now Be
Impending
NOBODY SEEMS HAPPY
ABOUT THE OUTCOME
Caunou's Friends Claim the Speaker
Wrested Victory From Defeat In
Refusal of the House 10 Depose
Him-Insurgents Bitter

bfss@s
washington, March 2C.-The titanic
struggle over the speakership of the
House of Representatives whicn
reached its climax late yesterday in
the destruction of the speakers power
in the committee on rules and the de-
termination by the House to recon-
struct that committee, yet leaving MT.
Cannon the speakership itself, may
have marked not so much the ending
of the three days battle as the begin
ming of a great political war. The
recognition by all factions of this pos
sibility was the principal feature to-
day of the political situation in WASH
ington.
Hardly anybody here thinks the con-
dition of affairs after the momentous
battle represents any satisfactory con-
clusion The speaker and his friends
appear to interpret the refusal OF the
House to depose him as justifying
them in claiming to have wrested VIC
tory from defeat, Endorsement from re-
pudation. Not a few of the insurgents
who voted for Mr.. Cannon's retention
are wondering today If they MADE
political blunder; whether their anti
cannon constituents will not indeed
hold their retaining him in the speak,
ership to have nullified their vote TO
eliminate him from the rules commit
tee.
The republican regulars complacehtly
claim that the insurgents VINO Voteu
for the speaker have returned TO the
party fold The democrats taunt these
! insurgents with having been recreaht
to the logic Of their insurgency no
body seems entirely happy about the
outcome Even in the Senate the regu-
lars are apprehensive lest the fnsnrg-
ents. condagration may be about to
spread to that house; the insurgent
| senator's are wondering whether they
have made the most of their opportunity
| ties -.
| Speaker Cannon's defiant speech last
might before the Illinois republican as
| sociation in ch he contemptuously
denounced the insurgent members OF
the House who stood by him In tne
final test as 'cowardly members or
| Congress- without the courage oil their
| convictions" has cut to the quick those
men who responded with their votes
TO what tneY say lhty bSiiefNt - -
their duty to the party and to the coun-
try and saved him from utter humilia-
| ton.
Insurgents Are Bitter.
| Today the feeling among those IN
surgents was one of bitterest RESENT
ment' over this attitude assumed to-
wards them.
IF this is to be the manner of our
| trea tment for saving the republican
party" said one of them today, who
| refused to allow his name to be used,
this battle just ended will be fol-
| lowed by another, beside which the first
| one would be but skirmsh.
| Il can speak for no one but myself,
| but IL this is to be our reception. l am
done We were not towards. We OF
| the insurgents who cast our votes yes
| terday against unsearing Cannon We're
| the bravest men in that house. 1t took
consummate courage, and it will prob
| ably cost me my seat in Congress. But
| IL we are to be met with calumny be-
cause we sacrificed ourselves to save
| the House of Representatives from
chaos and disorder and to prevent the
ruin of the republican party, then l am
| in favor of carrying this war to the
| finish"
| This member said he had talked with
one or two others of the insurgent leaders
| who voted to save Cannon, and they were
| in similar frame of mind.
when ] read in the papers this morn
| ing the speech which Speaker Cannon de-
| lveied before the Illinois association last
night my blood boiled with Indignation"
said this insurgent.
The portion of the speakers speech
which has thus enraged the insurgents
who saved him the speakershp is as fol-
lows:
Cannon's Harsh speech
"There was a new majority made today.
10 al Of ntc
rer cent slough from the republican party.
| They destroyed the committee on rules.
| Then what did they do? A resolution was
presented declaring the office of speaker
| vacant. What did these men who have
| been denouncing my personality these
| Simon pure followers of Cummns and La
| Toilette do then? Only eight of them had
| the courage OF their convictions. The re-
| suit was that while was elected speaker
| by majority of 26 last March, they re-
fused to turn me out by a majority OF
| Sc.
n,ittee on rules which has. after all sim
ply the power by report to the House,
lalfhough some seem to think that it is like
the biblical example OF let there be light
ana there was light. You in Washing
ron know differently The people in the
country apparently believe the uplfft mag
aaines and the cowardy members of Con-
gress who wrought such havoc today.
They said the speaker should not be a
me ncber of the committee on rules, which
they made over into committee of 10.
Much depends upon the makeup of that
committee.
May God bless and keep these men,
fo far as am concerned He only can
hiess them. Many so-called republicans
are in fact. populists, and are trying to
outdo Bryansm.'
There has not yet been called any meet
ing of the insurgents to consider what
their future course shall be. but undoubt-
edly one will be held within a day or two.
The Impending Conflict
The next conflict will come If it comes.
on the selection of the new rules COM
nittee provided for in the Norris resolu-
ton The committee is to be elected bv
the House, instead of being appointed by
the speaker, as hitherto.
Neither the regular republicans nor the
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