The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-04
Proposed to Republican
Caucus by Former
Speaker Cannon.
PARTY MEETING
is HARMONIOUS
Some Insurgents Stay Away, but
Do Not Try to Interfere With
Program-Cannon Gets His
Way in Having Mann Sc
lect Members of Com
mittees.

" dSHtuS toHI paPrll 3.-RepreSentativa
James r. Mann, of Illinois, was unani-
mousiy chosen candidate for Spea ke,
and floor leader Of the Republicans in
the House of Representatives. n, q
caucus In the House chamber to.ntght
lie was proposed to the caucus bv for
mer Speaker Joseph G.. Cannon and ra-
served the support of the regulars and
,nose insurgents who We're present
IT'S endorsement means that he viii
receive the Republican votes in the
rouse tomorrow when a Speaker is
elected. and that he Will become III.
active head of the minority party In
Inc House in the new Congress.
Alore than q dozen Insurgents we're
not present at ~to-night's caucus. Dur
ing the afternoon the Insurgents hell,
d meeting at which forty-six were
either present or accounted for. For
more than four huurs they discussed
the party leadership and the method
of filling committee signme but
no definite action was taken on either
OF these proposals.
stny Away From Cnucn..
Many of those who are opposed 10
MIR. Mann did not attend the caucus
Tonight. There was no concerted
action, however. toward disagrecinp
from the general party program.
me caucus proceedings were har-
monious on all points except the me-
thod of selecting the minority mem
bers of the standing committees of the
House.
Speaker Cannon was one or those
WHO strongly advocated the selection
of the minority committee members
by the Republican floor leader. In a
characteristic speech to the caucus he
reviewed his own eight years as speak
or "a M moi IN al nJy u Ia g. / q , - 49,
suits which he believed had been OBJ
tanned by placing upon one man
The responsibility of selecting the mem
bers Of the cor mittees.
Mr.. Madison. OF Kansas. who had
been a prominent figure at the after
noon meeting of the Insurgents
strongly advocated the plan of avine
a committee on committees He said
1t Was the only proposition that he
could consistently support, as the leg
i~slative body of his State a decla red
in favor of it. After a two and a half
hours debate, Mr.. lam was authorize
cd to name the members OF the stand
ing committees OF the House..
Chairman Underwood. of the Demo
cratic Ways and Means Committee, will.
as the result of to-night's action BY the
Republicans, confer with Mr.. Mann as
10 the hiling of the Republican places
on all the committees.
Two members OF the House have the
unique distinction OF having taken
part in neither the Republican nor
Democratic caucuses. One is Mr.. Ber-
ger. OF Milwaukee,, Socialist. and the
other. Theron Akin, of New York,
elected as an independent Democrat
The Democrats ave decided to give
both of them committee assignments
Irrespective Of the two large parties
in the House.
Dwight for Whip.
Mr.. Dwight, Of New York. was again
nominated for Republican whip. though
he announced in the last Congress he
would not again be a candidate for
whip.
Thu caucus was marked by the first
protest OF the Republican minority
| against the action Of the Democrats in
| dividing up the committee places. Mr..
Mann presented to the caucus a
| lengthy protest against the method
| adopted by the Democrats Of increas sin e
the number of members on the fifteen
| leading standing committees without
| prop~ortionately increasing the number
| OF places given to the minority party.
| The Republicans protest declared that
| This would BIZ an unfair superintendent
Of majority and minority representa-
ton on the committees and contrary
10 the practices Of past Congresses II
! declared that whenever the member
ship of the committees increased in
| the past 1t had been customary to give
| the minority q fair proportion OF The
increased membership.