Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-22
VITAL ISSUES DEPEND
ON ACTION OF FORMER
Future of Party's Legislative Pro.
gram Probably at Stake.
CANNON TAKES BACK SEAT
Doesn't Think He Ought to At.
tempt to influence Action
Of House.

The republicans of the House
will hold a caucus tomorrow
night at 8 o'clock for the seiec-
ton OF the majority members of
the new committee on rules.
The democrats will hold their
caucus for selection of the minor
ity members Thursday night.
'One's afraid and t'other da'sn't."
This was the way the present absence
of belligercnce among House republicans
was described today. It may have been
little exaggerated, but in point Of fact
neither. faction had stomach for fufther
fighting just now.
Soothing sirup for choIeric members
and the oil bag for the troubled factional
waters were most in evidence today No
body in particular seemed spelling for
fight.
Shaping Lines for Caucus.
The republican leaders were busy shap-
ing their lines for the caucus tomorrow
night to select the majority members
Of the new committee on rules. The re-
publican whip, John Dwight. and his
colleagues were sounding sentiment to
ascertain the feeling of the near-in-
surgents as to the personnel of that COM
mittee.
1t was admitted on all hands that the
caucus will be one OF. the most important
party conferences held in many years.
Upon its agreement win in large measure
depend the future conduct Of legislation
ana party action In the House. A split
in f1.r -
the work of TIE session, and every man
s0f influence en the republican party
was bending his efforts today to bring
about harmony.
Early in the day il was evident that
the insurgents were divided among them
selves. Such men Norris and Gard
ner advocated going into caucus and al
lowing the majority to name the commit
tee on rules. abiding by the choice thus
made when the election of the COMMITTEES
comes up in the House. A number of in
surgents signed the caucus call.
Wants to Be Shown.
Show us first who these men are to
be-" contended such insurgents as Hayes
of California. whats the use OF al,
the fight if we turn the committee over
to the regulars?' .-@.s-.
When he heard Of the call for Wednes-
day night Mr.. Hayes said:
1t doesn't sound just right to me that
this caucus has been moved forward from
Saturday night to Wednesday night. It
looks as though they are trying to rush
things.
The insurgents will have conference
between now and tomorrow night on this
subject. l do not believe that many of
the insurgents will enter the caucus, un.
less we know positively i'm advance who
the selections are going to be-
The argument of the conservative in.
surgents' in support of allowing the ma
jority to name the committee was that,
having won their fight for liberalization
of the committee and the rules. they
would maintain stronger position before
the country by not squabbling over the
personnel
Anyhow they said, I'VE can always
overturn in the House Objectionable re-
ports of the committee on rules, and force
the committee to act if it balks. We have
shown that We have the votes"
Cannon in Background.
Speaker Cannon is not, for the pres
ent at least. taking any leading or domi-
mating part in the proceedings of the
House, nor is he talking at all for pubii-
cation about his attitude on the subject.
From a source very near the Speaker liz
was learned today that the Speaker felt
that the majority which had taken con-
troll OF things last Saturday were now re-
sponsible for legislative and other mat
ters and that it might be poor taste for
him to make suggestion or to attempt tc
have anything to do with the directing
of affairs. The talking he preferred 10
leave to the insurgents.
There was considerable speculation over
the probable personnel of the rules COM
mittee under the Norris resolution. There
were various states. IF | were going to
forecast the republican members Of the
said one prominent western
.t~lso H. I>4s
in close council with colleagues I'm the
House and intimately associated with the
speakership. this would be my guess:
DalzelI of Pennsylvania, Walter l. Smith
of Iowa,-two members OF the present
Sloat Fassett of New York.
DENLY OF Michigan. Mckinley of Illinois.
and probably Gardner of Massachusetts.
The last named has all along refrained
from anything OF personal antagonism 10
the Speaker and Is the only insurgent ac-
ceptable to all OF the regulars"
Mr.. Sims Not vindictive.
Claiming that he had been misauoted
as denouncing the action of the sin
sursents" in failing to vote last Satur-
day with democrats for the Burleson
to vacate the speakership,
Sims democrat, Tennes-
see) today told the House that he had
never favored that course.
Il have never said a disrespectfui WORD
about the Speaker in private or public in
nv life" said Mr.. Sims. II believed
the motion to vacate the chair was
mistake We did not elect the Speaker
and we could not elect his successor. l
did not vote for that resolution upon the
low ground of personal antagonism. and
would not do it IL it was all to be
gone over again. If there is no higher
ground that pique for q vote against the
Speaker would not cast my vote against
him"
Scarlet Fever Closes Schools.