The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1911-04-07
CONGRESS GATHERS
IN EXTRA SESSION
Roll Cal! Reveals Some Re.
maTkabIe Changes.

The Sixty-second congress convened
in extraordinary session Vice
President James S. Sherman mani
pulated the gavel in the senate, while
Alexander Mcdowell. clerk of the
house duly opened the session in the
lower branch.
In the house Champ Clark OF Mis-
souri, was elected speaker soon after
the body was called to order at noon
Mr. Mann OF Illinois. chosen minority
leader, supplants Cannon, nom1nally
at least, as the house boss of the Re-
publicans.
On the senate side of the capitol. in
terest centered in the Republican eau
Gus to he called by Senator Fry
Aroused by evidence of scheme Oh
the part of the ~old guard TO freeze
them out Of the big committee places
twelve of the progressive Republican
senators decided to resist any such
move to the utmost and to stay out OF
the caucus unless satisfactory assur
ances Of fair treatment were forth
coming.
The political compilations of the two
branches of congress is as follows:
Iiouse-Democrats, 228; Republicans,
1850; Socialist, I; racancies, 2, the
Ninth Iowa and Second Pennsylvania
districts.
Senate Republicans, 50; Democrats.
Al; vacancy. 1, from Colorado.
The roll calls in the two branches
revealed. some remarkable changes
from the last session. In. the house
the Democrats showed a gain CT
fifty-four members and the Repub-
licans a loss of fifty-fve, the Social
list member, Victor Berger of M1Iwau
kee accounting for the difference.
BY reasons of the change resulting
from the election last November, new
faces are to be seen not only in the
membership of the house, but in the
whole organization. Republican en-
plOyes in great numbers will go out
and Democrats will fill their place.
Choice rooms in the capitol and in
the house office building, long con-.
trolled by the Republicans, will be sur
rendered to the representatives OF the
party which is to gather up the house
reinS
Instead of the fifty-nine Republicans
who occupied seats in the senate OH
March there are only fifty to-
day. The ranks of the minority
have been increased from thirty-two to
forty-one and to forty-two when the
vacancy in Colorado is filled There
caused by the death of the late Sen
atOr Hughes of Colorado.
More notable even than the large
number of new faces in the senate
and the house is the absence of
so many veteran legislators The
speakers marble rostrum will not re-
sound with vigorous whacks of the
Cannon gavel, for Mr.. Cannon now APP
pears in the ranks of the minority
Veterans of many legislative struggles
are missed from the house floor.
Representative w. B. Francis of the
Sixteenth Ohio district. has sounded
the first note of discord in the Demo
cratic ranks. He has sent letter to
Representative Underwood, chairman
of the committee on committees, re-
signing from his committee assign
ment and criticising Mr.. Underwood
and his colleagues because of the
character of their economy progress.
The important changes in the rules
under which the new congress will op.
crate are: The selection of commit
tees by the house. A provision to pre-,
vent filibustering under the rule Civ
ing authority to discharge committees
from consideration of bills. A pro-
vision permitting amendments to ap-
preparation bills whenever those
amendments will result in retrench-
ment of national expenditures. Au.
thority for bills to come UP twice for
passage under the unanimous consent
privilege.