The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
VOTE STANDS 2S TOPS;
 POMERENE'S DEFEAT
 TAKEN GRACEFULLY
Democratic Caucus Ends Harmoniously-The Fight
 Still Rages on Cloture Among Senate Democrats
By HIGH w. RoRERTs

i Washington, December S.-(Special)
 The alleged effort of certain senators
 to punish the seven democrats who during last session worked the defeat
 of the administration ship purchase | measure. failed this afternoon when i Senator Clarke of Arkansas, by n vote
 of 2s to 2s, was reelected president | pro tempore of the Senate
 ! The fight from beginning to end was desperate. It was of unusual interest | from national standpoint because 1t contained germs of dissention capable of effecting vital legislation and even l the result of the national election next fall It was of additional interest to | Alabama because of the fact that Sen ator Bankhead having stood against I the ship purchase bill, would have shared in the general punishment had Clarke been beaten. Senator Pomerenc, Clarkes opponent, gracefully received
 his defeat and moved that the victor be crowned by exclamation.
 FIGHT ON CLOTURE Respecting cloture, however, ths fight among democrats still rages. It
 was agreed in caucus this afternoon. however, that the vote would be taken tomorrow afternoon at o'clock. It Is indicated that majority of democrats will insist on a vigorous rule shutting
 off debate. The minority, however, re- | specting this issue. will not be bound by the action of the caucus and the dissenters when cast up with the re- publicans Monday may be able to de- feat any rule considered objectionable, ! Senator Bankhead In the caucus this 1 afternoon submitted a resolution which contains his idea of how the present rules should be amended His resolu- tion provides that the motion for the previous question during debate must be ordered by two-thirds vote of n quorum, and that if the motion for pre-
 vious question is sustained each sen
 ator thereafter will have the right to
 speak for two hours.
 While the caucus ended harmoniously. 1t seemed probable that the victory of the Clarke faction would endanger success of the movement to adopt d cloture rule in the Senate. The caucus will meet again tomorrow to take definite action regarding cloture recommendations, agree ment having been reached to vote by o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
 The division in the Clarke -Pomerene fight was rather sharply drawn, All tho democrats who joined with Senator Clarke in his fight against the ship pur chase bill stood soldly behind him, and most of the southern senators also sup
 
 da and Martin and Swanson of Virginia. however, voted for Senator Pomerene. The Florida senator had charge of the ship purchase bill Majority Leader Kern voted for Senator Pomerene. whose can didacy was most actively championed by Senators Walsh of Montana and Stone and Reed of Missouri The vote follows:
 VOTE TAKEN
 For Clarke BanlShead, Becsham, Broussard, Bryan, Chamberlain Gore,
 Hardwick, Hitchcock, Hughes James,
 Johnson of Maine, Lane. Newlands. O'Gorman, Overman. Pomerene, Ransdell Robinson, Salisbury, Shaffroth. Shields Simmons, smith of Georgia, Smith of South Carolina, Tillman, Underwood, Var daman and Wlliams-2S.
 For Pomerene--Ashhurst. Chiffon, Clarke, Fletcher, Hollis, HuSting, John StOn Of South DakOta, kern, Lee or Mdry- land. Martin Myers Owen, Phelan. Pitt man. Reed Sheppard. Smith of Arizona. Smith of Maryland Stone, Swanson Thomas and Walsh--23
 Senators absent were Culberson, Lewis Maritime, Lea of Tennessee and Shively Senators who addressed the caucus in opposition to Senator Clarke argued that
 he had deserted the party in leading the revolt against the ship purchase meas r1ra which had hapn ma1p measure. Senator Clarke spoke vigorously in reply, declaring that the bill was not of character to be made party meas ure and denying the right of caucus to bind him on such a question He said that if he found he could not stand with his party on matters In which the party had a right to instruct he would immedi- ately resign as president pro tempore. | Republican senators will hold their con ference next Monday morning. Senator Gallinger of New Hampshire will be re- and minority leader
 HOUSE ASSIGNMENTS Washington. December 2--Democratio committee assignments for the next House were completed tonight by ma jority members of the ways and means lcommittee for submission to the demo- cratic House caucus tomorrow. Chairrnen of all the important committees succeed 1 themselves and virtually the only changes in assignments followed the filling of va