Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-03-24
Death BLOW TO
"CANNON|SM
h
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
ito a vote of confidence. It was the
last play of a veteran fighter and of a
parliamentarian whose hand has been
strained by years of practical expert
ence.
The speaker was forced from the
rules committee by a vote of 191 to
1S5, forty Republican insurgents siding
PWtth the solid Democratic vote. The
track that the speaker turned on his
enemies was in the form of a resolu-
ton presented by Representative Bur
leson Of Texas, a 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 1856
amid a 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
by a majority of thirty-six, which is
ten more than the majority that the
Speaker had when he was first elected
to the office. By paving the way for
this vote on the speakership question,
which 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. It was a
mighty clever move on the speakers
part and It also was the child O. his
W 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 a century and the Cannon organi-
cation will be shorn of the power
which it 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
their will in the matter if they stick
together. On this point, however, there
is a much greater chance of a 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 numbled 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 vas adopted:
There shall be a committee on
Tules, elected by the house (hitherto
the committee of five. like all other
house committees, has been appointed
by the speaker, consisting of ten
members, SIX Of whom shall be mem
hers of the majority party n four
OF whom shall be members of the mi
tnorfty party. The speaker shall not
Ebe a member Of the committee and
the committee shall elect IT'S own
chairman from It's own members.
Resolved, further, That within ten
days after the adoption of this res.
4olutton there shall be an election of
this committee and Immediately upon
Its election the present committee on
rules shall be dissolved"