The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1911-04-07
CONGRESS MEETS
IN EXTRA SESSION.
CLARK IS SPEAKER
DEMOCRATS HAVE A HEAVY MA
JORiTY IN THE LOWER
HOUSE.
COMING PRESIDENTIAL Fight
Casts Its Shadow Over the Capito
Building on First Day of the Special
Session-Bryan and Harmon Both
Present on the Floor.

Present on the Floor.
WASHINGTON, April 5.-TheSixty
second Congress met in extraordinary
session yesterday.
What the session will bring forth
in the way of legislation, or when II
will adjourn are matters on which nc
one cared to venture an opinion.
The Democrats took full posses sion
of the House and put Champ Clark
Of Missouri, in the speakers chair.
In his speech accepting the honor Mr..
Clark warned the Democrats that the
eyes of the country were upon them;
that the party was on trial and that
1t had an opportunity for the first time
in sixteen years to prove it's WORTH.
ness for still higher expression Of
confidence on the part of the Ameri.
can people.
Throughout the day the shadow OF
the coming Presidential fight lowered
about the capitol and there is no
question that maneuvers for political
advantage will play an important
part in the affairs of each House dur.
ing the next few months.
William Jennings Bryan, of Nebras.
ka, and Gov. Harmon, of Ohio, were
prominent figures on the floor OF the
Mouse during the opening ceremo
MES and both shared in the Democrat.
ic demonstrations that marked the
day.
The Senates opening was sedate as
usual, and while the leadership of the
upper branch of the new Congress re.
mains in Republican hands, the
change in the personnel of those as.
suming command was almost as mark.
ed as those in the House.
President Taft's message dealing
with Canadian reciprocity alone, will
be read in the two houses of Congress
tomorrow
Republican leaders of the Senate
have announced that there SHAH be
no tariff legislation at the extra ses.
sion. Tariff revision is included in
the plans of the Democrats.
This difference of opinion promises
soon to bring the two branches into
sharp conflict. A legislative deadlock
is freely predicted and the length of
the session now seems to depend
upon how long the Democratic House
will continue to lombard the Repub-
lican Senate with general legislation
bills.
From political standpoint /. is
likely that one of the most important
things the Democratic House will do
will be to order thorough investiga.
ton of the aarious departments and
branches of government service. The
Democrats claim that there has been
no such investigations for twenty
years and that much good campaign
material as well as much saving to
the people will result from them
The session of the House today was
devoted solely to organization. The
adoption of the new rules was put
over until tomorrow. The Republi- |
cans, under the leadership of Repre- |!
sentative Mann, of Illinois, will make
their first fight or. these. The Repub- !
licans resent the action of the Demo I
Gratis in increasing the membership |
of various House comittees without |
the percentage of minority |
The Republican insurgents in the /,
House indicated their purpose of con-
tinuing to act independently by de- |
Ginning to vote for Mr.. Mans for
speaker and by giving their support |
to Representative Cooper, of Wis.
consin
The insurgents gained a member
when Representative Theron Akin, of |
New York, elected as an "independ-
ent Democrat" and heretofore car
ried on the Democratic rolls, cast his
lot with them and chose his seat on
the Republican side.
Representative Berger, of Wiscon-
sin, the sole socialist member OF the
House, voted present" on the speak
er's balloting. He also chose a seat
on the Republican side.
Because" he afterwards explained
~