Arizona republican., 1911-04-05
OVERFLOW OF DEMOCRATS
The Ambitious Program of the House Is Likely to Be Curtailed in the Senate Presidents Message Will Mention Only Reciprocity

Washington, April 4.-The sixty ond congress met in extraordinary ses- sion today The democrats took pos session of the house and put Champ Clark in the speakers chair In his speech accepting the honor he warned the democratic members that the eyes of the country were upon them; that the party was on trial and that it had to prove its wOrthiness for a still high CT expression of confidence.
 Throughout the day, the shadow of the coming presidential fight lowered about the capitol and there is TO ques- ton that maneuvers for political ad- vantage will play an important part ir the affairs of the house and senate dur ing the next few months.
 William J. Bryan Of Nebraska and Governor Harmon of Ohio were the leading figures on the floor of the house. Had Governor Woodrow Will son been present, the list of generally accepted democratic presidential pos abilities would have been complete.
 In the senate it was notable that while the leadership remains in repub- lican hands. the change in the person. mel was almost as marked as in the house. Aldrich, Hale, Beveridge and others of both the regular and pro- gressive factions were missed
 President Taft's message dealing with Canadian reciprocity alone. will be read in congress tomorrow. The democrats of the house, however, have formulated an ambitious program, which includes a revision of the sched- ules of the Payne -Aldrich tariff.
 The republican leaders in the senate have announced that there will be no tariff legislation. They declare that they are not alarmed by the threats of the democrats to hold back action on reciprocity until action is secured on the tariff bills.
 legislative deadlock is predicted and the length of the session seems to depend upon how long the demo- cratic house will lombard the republi- can senate with general legislation bills
 One of the most important things the democratic house will do will be to or der an investigation of the depart ments and branches of the government service. They claim that there has been no such investigation for twenty years and that a saving to the people will result.
 The house session was devoted to the work of organization. The adop- tion of new rules was put over until tomorrow. The republicans will make their first fight on these. They resent .l., i'm. frr ing the membership of the committees without increasing the percentage of the minority representation.
 The republican insurgents of the house have indicated their purpose to act independently by declining to vote for Mann for speaker. giving their SUD- port to Mir. Cooper of Wisconsin instead.
 The insurgents gained a member when MT. Aiken of New York, elected as an independent democrat and here tofore carried on the democratic rolls. cast his lot with them and took his seat on the republican side Represen- tative Berger of Wisconsin. the only socialist in the house, voted present in the speakership balloting. He also chose a seat on the republican side.
 The drawing of seats attracted in terest. Because of their large majori- ty it was necessary for thirty demo- crats to pre-empt a strip of seats on the republican side. Four of these are committee chairmen, while four Oth- CTS are members of the all powerful committee on ways and means and the committee on committees.
 When the republicans found it nec- essary to invade the democratic side their section was known as the Chero- kee strip. MT. Burleson of Texas to- day christened the democratic section of the republican side as the Pan handle"
 The minority leaders, Messrs. Cam non of Illinois. Payne of New York and Dalzell of Pennsylvania. were seated in a group. with Floor Leader Mann a short distance away.
 Representative Murdock of Kansas. a radical insurgent, chose a seat one removed from NIT. Dalzell, and just back of Mir. Payne. much to the amuse- ment of the house members.
 Not unlikely that some of the in- surgents who voted for Henry A. Cooper of Wisconsin today for speaker, will request assignments from the democratic leaders without respect to the places accorded them by Minority Leader Mann.
 Chairman Underwood of the ways and means committee would not say whether the insurgents, if they ask