Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1910-03-24
DEATH BLOW TO
CANNON|SM"
Insurgent and Democratic ALLIES
Force Speaker From the
Rules Committee.
WILL CONTINUE TO PRESIDE
Insurgents Desert Democrats on
a Motion TO Declare the
Chair Vacant.

washington, March 19.-Speaker
Cannon went down to defeat today,
but when his enemies believed him to
be in utter rout he turned and forced
from them what practically amounts
TO a vote OF confidence. II was the
last play of a veteran fighter ana Of
parliamentarian whose hand has been
trained by years of practical expert
ence.
The speaker was forced from the
rules committee by vote Of 191 to
155, forty Republican insurgents siding
with the solid Democratic vote. The
trick that the speaker turned on his
enemies was in the form of a resolu-
ton presented by Representative Bur.
Lesson of Texas, Democrat, declaring
the speakers chair vacant and order
ing an election of Mr.. Cannon's sue
cessor. The speaker already had an
nounced from the chair that he would
entertain such a motion. 1t was
promptly voted down by 191 to 155
amid scene that is probably without
parallel in the history of the house of
representatives. Only nine insurgents
sided with the Democrats in voting to
depose Uncle Joe from the post that
he has held for seven years. AS a
matter of fact the proposition to GUST
him from the speakership was rejected
hty Sxt- 90 II,
ten more than the maJority that the
speaker had when he vas first elected
to the office. BY paving the way for
this vote on the speakership question,
which never has been directly in
volved in the present fight, Mr.. Can
non adroitly drew a line of cleavage
between the issue presented in his
present defeat and that known as Can
nonism. The vote will go before the
country as the best evidence that Can
non, the individual, was not the issue
in the present struggle, but that it
was the system which he had inner
tied from his predecessor. 1t was a
mighty clever move on the speakers
part and it also was the child of his
own brain, as his advisers had been
urging him to throw down the gavel
and resign.
Power of Organization Gone.
The rules committee, under the in
surgent victory today, will be changed
from the form which it has had for
half century and the Cannon organi-
cation will be shorn of the power
which 1t has exercised under it for
the last seven years. The committee
will be enlarged from five to ten mem
bers. all of whom shall be elected by
the house itself, instead of being ap-
pointed by the speaker OF the ten
six are to be Republicans and four
Democrats. In the selection Of the
members of this committee will be
found the possibility of another big
row in the house. although it is con-
coded that the insurgents and the
Democrats will be able to carry out
tAAir,-"a In the matter IL they stick
together. On this point, nuwever. there
is a much greater chance OF split.
The resolution adopted by the insur-
gents and Democratic vote specifically
eliminates the speaker from the COM
mittee.
From the very beginning of the fight
In the house today it was apparent to
everybody that the Cannon organiza-
ton would be humbled and the con.
troll of the house, temporarily at least,
transferred from the Republican nor.
NAL majority to the actual majority
composed of the insurgents and the
Democrats. The first test vote fore
Swallowed defeat for the regulars and
each succeeding vote demonstrated as
the day wore on that the insurgents
were gathering strength. Here is the
Norris resolution which caused the
row. but which was adopted:
There shall be a committee on
rules. elected by the house (hitherto
the committee of 1--WE, like all other
house committees, has been appointed
by the speaker). consisting Of ten
members. six of whom shall be mem.
bers Of the majority patty and four
OF when shall be members of the mi
nority party. The speaker shall not
be member Of the committee and
the committee shall elect its own
chairman from its own members.
Resolved. further, That within ten
days after the adoption OF this res
olution there shall be an election Of
this committee and Immediately upon
IT. election the present committee ON
/ rules shall be dissolved"
Senator Daniel Improves.
"A naxf0na Ella March 1a-Ear4he-