The Washington herald., 1911-05-12
GALL|NGER FAILS
T0GET |NSURGENT
VOTES IN SENATE
Election of President Pro
Tenn. Is Postponed.
LA TOILETTE HOLDS OUT

Eight insurgent. Republican Senators
prevented the Senate Republican organi-
zation from electing Senator Jacob H.
Gallinger as president pro tempore of the
Senate Seven ballots were taken yes
terday for a president pro tempore. Thir-
ty-eight votes were required to elect on
the last six ballots, and thirty-seven
would have been sufficient on the first
ballot. The highest vote received by Sen
ator Gallinger was 80, two more than
that nominated him.
The Democratic Senators, voting solid
ly, were for Senator Bacon. Of Georgia,
and gave him 35 votes on every ballot,
and coming within two votes of elect
ing him on the first ballot.
The Republican leaders in the Senate
are shocked and indignant at the eight
insurgents 1t looks now as If Senator
Gallngers friends cannot hope for his
election, and that a deadlock is ahead
that may postpone the election OF
president pro tempore indefinitely, or ne
cessitate the nomination of some Repub-
lican other than Senator Gallinger.
Have Personal Grievance.
The insurgent Republicans admit that
they have a personal grievance against
the Senator from New Hampshire. Sen
ator La Toilette is the leader Of the in
surgent revolt against the Republican
caucus He was disappointed because
the Senate Committee on Committees re-
| fused to permit him to be a member of
the Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce. in addition to his other COM
mittee assignments. he has charged
that Senator Gallinger broke faith with
| him, and he admits that he is out for
revenge.
! Senators Brown, Borah. Dixon. and
Kenyon. who went into the Republican
caucus, Voted for Senator Gallinger for
President pro TEN. and yesterday were
paired in favor of him. Four insurgents,
including La Toilette. voted on every
ballot for Sentaor Clapp, of Minnesota,
who was formally placed in nomina-
ton by Senator La Toilette before the
| balloting began.
The Senate took up the matter of elect
ing a President pro tenn. shortly before
8 o'clock and devoted nearly two hours
to balloting and to incidental debate. At
the end of that time, on motion of Senator
La Toilette and adjournment was taken
over until Monday Twice before in the
stormy proceedings a motion was made
to adjourn, each time by Senator Dixon
of Montana but each time it was voted
down. Senator Lodge presided over the
Senate during the balloting.
Regulars Lack Leadership.
It was evident that the regular Repub-
licans in the Senate lacked leadership.
More than once an expression of regret
was heard from the older Senators that
Aldrich. or Hale, or both. were not in
their accustomed places 10 deal with the
situa tion. In the first place a tactical
mistake was made in going into the fight
without first ascertaining the certainty of
enough votes to elect. The leaders claim
ed Wednesday night that they had the
votes. They were apparently confident
that they had them up to the time the
first ballot was taken
The roll call had not proceeded very
far on the first ballot before something
like CONSERVATION seized the Republican
side. Evidently they had not counted
on the pairs. Then an effort was made
to break the pairs, and this failed
signally. After three ballots had been
taken, Senator Root, following a hur-
ried conference with some of the Re-
publican Senators, rose and invoked
rule of the Senate which provides that
nc Senator shall be excused from voting
on any question without the consent of
the Senate When Senator Borah's name
was called on the fourth roll call Senator
Root asked that Mr.. Borah be not ex-
cused from voting. but be required to
vote Senator Bailey promptly took issue
with Mr. Root as to the construction of
the rule. He declared that pairs did not
come within the rule. The rule, he in
sisted, applied only to Senators who were
not paired, who were present and re-
| fusing to answer when their names were
called.
Senator Lodge in the chair, sustained
Senator Baileys view of the case. Then
Senator Root asked the indulgence Of
the Senate while he launched into a
severe criticism of the insurgent Repub-
licans. He pointed out the helpless con-
dition of the Senate under the circum
| stances, declared that Republicans were
being paired against Republicans so that
| the majority party in the Senate could
not perfect its organization, and suggested
| that there should be no sailing under
| false colors and that there ought to be
| test Of party strength and no skulking
He charged that the pairs were manipu-
lated to bring about the election Of a
Democratic President pro tenn. in a way
| that the insurgent Republicans could ap-
pear as not being directly responsible
for the result.
Accepts the Challenge.
Senator La Toilette very promptly ac-
| cepted Mr.. Roots challenge. Marching
over to the center Of the main aisle, he
addressed the chair. 1t was evident that
he was angry, for his face was white and
he glared viciously at Senator Root.
1t looked for a time as if the Demo-
Gratis, aided by the insurgents, would
hold the Senate in session in the hope
of bringing about the election of Sena-
! tor Bacon. Every motion to adjourn
or to turn to other business was
promptly resisted. A motion by Sena-
| tor Cullom that when the Senate ad-
journed 1t be to meet on Monday was
promptly voted down. But finally the
insurgent Republicans fell in with the
| regular Republicans and brought about
an adjournment until Monday. -
1t is the first time in many years that
the regular Republican organization in
the Senate has gone upon the rocks.
Yesterday ii was helpless. The despair
| of the situation was plainly reflected in
the countenances Of the Republican
| leaders.