The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-03-24
SPEAKER OF HOUSE :
HAS POWER CURTAlLED
By NORRIS RESOLUTION

Cannon. of Danville. ILL.,, Is still speak
er of he House of Representatives.
but he lost Saturday the ancient pres
tige and weapon of that Office when
the allied insurgents and democrats
took from him not only the chairman
ship OF. but ever membership In, the
all powerful committee on rules, the
chief asset in his stock of power.
Amid scenes OF widest disorder, tor
the like Of which one must go back to
the exciting days just prior to the civil
war-perhaps even those times might
not duplicate 1.-THE veteran speaker.
almost "a years old, stood erect and
defiant. his head "bloodied but I'M
bowed At the end, when a big Texa
democrat accepted the speakers dar-
ing challenge and introduced a rcsolu-
ion to Hing him out of the speaker
ship. he republican regulars and In
surgents. with few exceptions. rallied
with almost unbroken party front and
gave him a vote which almost Offset
the population of Cannonisnn.
Norris Resolution Us Adopted.
This is what happened:
BY a vote of 1911 to 1855. the repub-
ltcan insurgents voting solidly with the
democrats, the House adopted the res
olution of Representative Norris, re-
publican, of Nebraska, requiring a re-
organization of the rules committee. in
creasing it's membership from five to
10, and declaring the speaker ineligible
to membership thereon.
BY a curiously Identical vote OF 191
to 1875, but With a decidedly different
personnel of alignment. the House de-
feated a resolution of Representative
Burleson, OF Texas, declaring the
speakership vacant and ordering an
immediate election of a successor to Mr..
Text Of Amendment.
YY--- t. AA- Ay--.- --s.,1.
was adopted:
Resolved, That there shall be a CONF
mtttee on rules, elected by the House
(hitherto the committee Of five. like all
other House committees, has been APP
pointed by the spealler). consisting OF
10 members, six of whom shall be mem
bers of the majority party. The speak
er shall not be a member of the COM
mittee, and the committee shall elect
its own chairman from its own mem
bers.
Resolved further. That within 10
days after the adoption OF this reso-
luton there shall be an election of this
committee. and Immediately upon its
election the present committee IN rules
shall be dissolved"
Here is the resolution of Representa-
tive Burleson, which was defeated:
Resolved, That the Office of speaker
OF the House of Representatives is
hereby declared to be vacant and the
House of Representatives shall at once
proceed to elect a speaker"
eurIeson Start. Real Trouble.
Great turmoil n disorder ragged
around Mr.. Burleson as he stood be-
side his desk near the center Of the
House after sending his resolution to
the desk and it's purpose became
known. His democratic colleagues sur
rounded him. some urging him to force
his resolution to a vote, other declar-
ing that he had pcecipitated things too
hastily.
Kitchin, OF North Carolina; Hard
wick, of Georgia: Garner, of Texas.
and Shackelford, OF Missouri, who had
assisted him in drafting the resolution.
all shouted amid the turmoil to pay
no attention to the panicky requests
Several insurgent republicans ran
over and entreated him to withdraw.
| 'It is untimely. 1t is suicidal" they
cried through the din.
Don't offer it now. Don't do it his
evening: Wait til we have had time
Nebraska. clinging to Burleson's arm
and shouting in his ear.
Burleson paid no heed. He shook
off the pleaders and kept his eyes
fixed on h wall in front of the speak,
er's desk, where sherley. of Kentucky,
was frantically contending that the mo.
ton to adjourn had priority.
Wild TumuIt.
The speaker was steadily hammerine
his desk with the gavel. but the blows
were hardly audible above the racket.
From all over that side of the House
republicans were shouting to the clerk.
Read. read"
They referred to the resolution which
Burleson had sent to the desk, the con-
tents Of which they did not know
though everybody suspected what they
| were.
Half a hundred had left their seats
and were shouting In the aisles when
Burleson, a few minutes later, pressed
for the adoption of his resolution. Ro-
denberg. of Illinois, elbowed his way
from the rear, yelling at the top Of hi,
voice, Vote on it; show your colors;
what's the matter with you?"
He was tostled about, but kept on
until he reached the front of the House,
Norris in front of the desk was de-
manding recognition and a vote on his
motion to adjourn. From all parts OF
the democratic side came cries:
Withdraw 1t. withdraw. Let's put
| him out now"
Just as vehement We're the shouts:
mo, don't withdraw 1t. Stand pat
| There were lOuO CTlcS ITOm tile re-
publican side when the democrats vot-
ed against an adjournment. Some OF
these cries came from regular repub-
licans who began to feel that the in
surgents would rejoin them on the
questioning of throwing Cannon out
The insurgent members who voted
for the Burleson resolution deposing
Cannon from the speakership We're Ca
rey, Cooper, Lenroot and Nelson, all
of Wisconsin; Davis and L%indbergh, OF
Minnesota; Murdoch, of Kansas; Gron-
ma, Of North Dakota, and Poindexter,
of Washington. None Of the Iowa
members voted for the speakers depo-
sition.
The list of IS insurgents who voted
against the motion to table Norris ap-
peal and who by their votes on tina,
motion made the overthrow of Cannon
ism possible. were:
Iowa-Kendall, Hubbard, Good, Hau-
gen, Pickett, Woods.
Nebraska-Norris, Kinkaid, Hinshaw
South Dakota-Martin.
Wisconsin = Nelson. Kopp, Carey,
Cooper, Davidson. Lenroot, Morse.