The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-01-12
SPEAKER CANNON
HITS ENEMIES
Democrats Flop Into Ranks Of
Regulars From Insurgents

Nun hau his nouT Oh triumph In the
House today in winning the first inn
Dortant political vancouver of the pre-
sent session of Congress.
Badly battered in the three days
storm that swept the House last
March the speaker came back" in a
way that brought a grim smile of sat
lsfaction to his countenance and left
mis- enemies, the insurgents, discom.
cited
The speaker today was sustained by
a large majority on ruling Identical
with the one he made last March,
when the House overruled his decis-
ion through combination of insur-
gent Republicans and Democrats. On
the eve of their return TO power the
Democrats voted TO sustain the ruling
of the chair.
The insurgents - twenty-seven of
them stood by their guns and
fought the speaker bravely in a lost
cause
1t was on the point as to whether a
proposed amendment to the rules, OF.
Tered from the floor, constituted a
question of high constitutional privi-
Iege, that the storm broke. It was pre-
cisely this question that called out
the revolution" Of last March, when
Representative Norris of Nebraska OF.
fered an amendment providing for a
rules committee OF fifteen members
TO be elected by the House, instead of
three members appointed by the
speaker.
Speaker Cannon ruled the Norris
resolution out of order Today Repre-
sentative Fuller OF Illinois offered a
resolution amending the rule relat.
ing TO the discharge of committees
from the consideration of bills. 1t
was purely technical. A point Of or.
der was raised against it, and the
speaker, declaring he would ignore the
precedent set by the House last March
when it overruled his ruling in the
Norris case, held that the Fuller reso
sutton was not privileged.
Ruling Of the Speaker.
An appeal from the chair was imme-
diately taken by regular Republican,
Mr.. Gaines of West Virginia, who de-
manded yea and nay vote. The
speaker was sustained by 233 to 3d.
Speaker Cannon's ruling was deliver
ed in his most impressive manner. He
gesticulated at time with the gavel
.clutched in his left hand. Again he
would pause, put down the gavel and
speak almost in a whisper The atten-
ton was such, however, that he could
he heard in the far corners Of the gal
Ferry.
To point out the similarity Of the
question raised today and the one
raised last March, the speaker had
the Norris resolution read in full, to-
gether with an extract from the jour
nal OF the House giving the details
of the fight that followed and that
overthrew the speaker. He also had
read extracts from remarks made by
Champ CLARK and Representative IN
Slerwood.
The chair" he said would have
mo difficulty in promptly ruling in har-
mony with all the precedents so far
as the chair is able to ascertain.
IRON the beginning of this House in its
'sjttings under the constitution, except
one. That precedent was made in the
Cast session OF the present Congress
upon a resolution precisely similar in
principle to this"
Majority Can Always Control.
The speaker said that under the
great parliamentary reforms of last
March there is still no way under the
rules TO amend the rules except by
reYOluton--if we are to take the word
and vote OF the gentlemen in the
Housg last session constituting fol
The time being a majority of the
House"
Stow, the chair desires to say II
this connection" he continued, tina
IL Is within the power of the House
acting by a majority, to do anything
Shat majority votes for, having com
plete control in the premises, whethe
justified by the fixed law OF the land
the constitution or otherwise. Their
was way, however, without violating
either the letter or the spirit of tn
constitution, without violating tn
rules of the House, by which mf
iority of this House, when this pre-
cedent, as made, might have worke
its will.
But the minority of the Hous'
substantially acting together and r.