Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-03-19

| Washington, March 18.-At IL min
utes before O'Clock this afternoon the
! House of Representatives adjourned
until noon tomorrow after one of the
greatest Parliamentary struggles in its
| history The result is nothing more
or less than a drawn battle. ON the
final roll call 164 Republicans voted
to postpone further action on the Nor
ris amendment until tomorrow and $50
Democrats and "Insurgent" Republi-
cans voted to continue. With the
regular Republicans voted four of the
insurgents" following of Norris of
Nebraska. who left him and side with
the majority for postponement. The
result, they said, conveyed no signifi-
canoe and meant anything else than
that they had deserted the "Insurgent"
cause.
The lull in the long battle was ap-
parently welcome to both sides. al
though there was not a cheer of vic
tory from either.
The hands Of the big clock above
the Speakers desk pointed to the hou
OF 4,4S when the Speaker put the mo-
ton to adjourn and a general chorus
of ayes came from the Republican
side. The Democrats made no protest
and there was no answer to the call
for the noes.
The House for the first time in the
present session had almost its full
membership on the floor. When the
Speakers gavel fell the members rose
Wearily from their seats and filed out
through the Uttered aisles, and in.
n1InIlteS the al tho rnrnr1 hraa II
ing endurance struggle was cleared of
its 400 the galleries We're emptied of
the hundreds of spectators who have
occupied them constantly for nearly
30 hours and only a score or so OF
janitors moved about cleaning up the
evidences of the fray.
No such 4 series of scenes have been
witnessed in a Congress in recent
years. The performance embraced
every element. from the serio- tragic
eftort to Wrest from the Speaker the
chief source of his power. to the
songs, jokes and iests that the mem
berS banded during the long hours of
Vigil. Always there was the bone of
contention between the two opposing
sides over which they fought and
Wrangled fiercely, but for hours at
time, the scene took on the aspect Of
comic opera, and laughter and ap-
plausc ruled the House
What Of the result? The unusual
and almost irexplicable ending caused
. thousand questions as to the mean
ing OF the arniSticc Did il mean that
the Regulars had won over enough Of
the Insurgents 10 obtain q truce and
time enough to rally their forces and
form some new plan Of action? or was
both sides weary and worn to the limit
OF pnysical exhaustion and glad of
an opportunity 10 deter the final struG-
gle for Il few hours and give all
chance to freshen themselves for it,
we have lost nothing" said Repre-
sentative Norris. This postponement
means nothing more than we have de-
ferred consideration of my resolution
Until tomorrow. The issue is not ar
i"cted at all. and the Insurgents stand
solidly and unbroken now. just where
they stood 2t hours ago"
Worn and haggard. his unshavcn face
drawn and pale and his eyes red and
swollen from sleeplessness and hours
Of intense application, the leader of
INV iiLliN cstiih VI iiiSul StIltS. NIiItI mas
ucld the balance Of power in the House
through one Of the most dramatic
periods in its history, made this de-
c!aration Immediately after the House
had voted to adjourn. He himself. had
Eoted to remain longer in session.
The Insurgents who voted for this
nostponement did so because they be
lieved it might provide an easier way
to the accom- plishment Of what we are
striving for, and | do not disapprovc
of their action in the least. 1t will
give us an opportunity to confer with
the leaders of the Regulars and see
how far they are willing to go in con-
ccding us victory
You may he sure of one thing. We
shaal not compromise principle and
we Will be found voting at the finish
for just what we voted for at the
start"
Madison, Kan. one of the Insurgent
leaders. declared:
You can say for me that | would
rather he licked to a finish than to
stand for any sort of milk and water
compromise. I intend TO fight this
thing through tc finish and I think
all of the Insurgents will stand solid"
The regulars, following adjournment.
talked over the situation informally
and individually. Their mood Is
waiting one. If the insurgents" win
the fight. they say that upon the "AI-
lies" will devolve the responsibility of
legislation. The particular obstruction
in the pathway of agreement
between the regulars and the
Insurgents is the proposed elm
ination of the Speaker. The
regulars say the Speaker, having corn.