The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-04-15
DEMOCRATS co
OUT ON STRIKE
Show That They Know How
10 InSurge.
AMEND RUCKER MEASURE

Fifty.two Members Of New Majority
In House Make Trouble For
Speaker Clark by Joining Win
Republicans In Taeking Objection.
able Feature to Bill Providing For
Publicity Of Campaign Expenses
Before and After Election.
Washington, April IS. Champ
Clark and his Democratic lieutenants
had u taste Of Insurgency in the
house of Representatives For the
first time since the special session
began they experienced feelings akin
to the hoartaches suffered by the
Cannon organization in the last con
gress when the Republican insur-
gents took TO the warpath
The Democratic leaders had their
troubles over the Rucker bill, which
provides for publicity of campaign
contributions before as well as after
elections. The bill was passed before
the house adjourned, but the process
was marked by incidents which dem
onstre:ed that there are Democratic
as we'll as Republican insurgents. On
one vote. regarded as vital by the
southern Democrats, who ere the real
leaders in the house, % of the sup
posed followers of Champ CLARK
joined with the Republican minority
in forcing through proposition thai
was d.sapproyed by majority leaders
The specter of federal interference
IN elections was the cause of all the
excitement. This bugaboo was intro
duced in the discussion by Represen-
tative Jackson of Kansas. Republi
can insurgent. Jackson bounded into
the scene unexpectedly With the en-
tire Republican minority at his heels,
and before the Democrats could rally
their forces 50 of their number joined
with The new leader from Kansas in
the attack. Three Ohio represents
tives -Bulkley, Sherwood and Whit
acre-were among the boilers.
Field Day In House.
1t was a field day in the house For
the first time in many long, weary
months the Republicans were united,
while the new Democratic majority
was thrown into confusion by the ali
rupt desertion of 30 of their number,
most OF whom voted their convictions
ON the Jackson resolution. All OF
them returned TO the fold, however
before the Rucker resolution was
passed.
Representative Jackson's amend
ment provided In substance tina
every candidate for congress in pri-
maries and every candid9re for con
gress in elections Should Gle a state.
ment with the clerk of the house OF
representatives "cf all monies or
source and used by him in any way
Ia the conduct OF his campaign. To
81 Democrats and the Republican mi-
nurity this looked like publicity en-.
tirely in harmony with the before and
after election principles OF the Rucl.-
er bill. Down south, however. the
real fights for place in congress take
place before the elections. and Re
publlcans charge that a good deal Of
money Is spent. At any rate the
presentation of the Jackson amend
mcnt threw confusion into the rankA
Of the southern leaders. They were
stampeded for time. The amend
ment was put to vote carried, l72
TO l3l.
The announcement Of the result |
aroused the Republicans - great en-
thuslasm. They hooted and howed |
with glee and shouted derislyely at
the Democrats. The Rucker bill with |
the Jackson amendment being ex-
ceediugly distasteful to the Demo
cratic leaders, they immediately set !
about to strike out the amendment. J
The complaint of the southern lead ,
ers was that the Jackson amendment |
was "a force bill" idea. II gave fed
eral officials power TO interfere in |
elections. They charged further that |
II was an invasion oe the rights OF |
the states and that It represented a
Republican plot to vitiate the force
of the proposed law on constitutional
grounds.
Thereupon a number of the Demo.
cratic insurgents returned to the
majority and voted with Il on a mo-
tion made by Representative Ruckcr
that The bill be sent back to the com
mittee with instructions to eliminate
the Objectionable Jackson amend.
ment. This motion was carried by a
vote Of 157 to 149, a margin so mar
row that it caused shivers to run
down the backs Of the Democratic
leaders.
That the Democrats are as skilled
in the manipulation Of the steam
roller as the Republicans, was dis
closed in the methods adopted by
them In forcing through the motion
of Mr. Rucker to recommit. They /
used pleas and threats in their ef-
forts to get the insurgents into line, 7
After The house. or at least the Dem
ocratlc majority, voted to reeommlt,
a vote was taken on motion TO
strike out the obnoxious Jackson
and this was carried by
a vote Of 1G4 TO l39
There was no opposition TO the
a