Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-12-05
Adopting Broad Attitude, Senate Caucus Drops the
 Fight for Gag" Rule.
SENATORS FOLLOW
 LEAD OF WILSON
Presidents Preparedness Plan Will Be Launched as NOn-Partisan POli. cy-COl. Sam Taylor Gets Place
 on Big Committee.

Washington, Dec. 1.-The fight to force the adoption of a cloture rule was dropped in the Democratic sena- torial caucus today.
 After six hours of discussion, the caucus, by rising vote, of 40 to 3, directed that cloture was not a party question. Senator Walsh, one of the strongest advocates of the proposed rule, offered resolution that the action of the caucus should not be binding upon senators, but it never reached a vote.
 The whole fight for cloture, begun more than nine months ago, went to pieces when Senator Owen, chairman of the special committee that framed the proposed rule, withdrew it from the consideration of the caucus. He announced he would introduce it in the senate as an individual, where it would take the usual course.
 Pursuing Broad Course.
 The fate of cloturc having been forecasted early in the day, Caucus Chairman Kern telegraphed Vice President Marshall there would be no need for him to leave the bedside of his wife, who is ill, and come to Washington to preside at the opening of the session.
 Senator O'Gbrman, addressing the caucus, declared it would be unwise to treat cloture as partisan ques- ,{r1, fs paredness program. He pointed out that the president had called in Re- publicans to confer over the national defense program and had impressed upon them the fact that he did not intend to consider that matter from any other than a broad national view point.
 If cloture were adopted in a parti- san conference, and an effort made tc jam it through the senate, MT. O'Gor- man said, Republicans might seek re- venge by baking at the national de- fense program, and cause it's defeat Cloture, he argued, is but polite term for "gag" rule. and if Democrats attempted to gag the senate it would be equivalent to an admission thai their proposed measures were of such doubtful wisdom that they could not be passed in any other way.
 Increase Republican Representation
 The Democrats of the house met in caucus this afternoon and adopted the scheme of committee representa- tion framed by the Democratic mem bers of the ways and means commit tee. The plan increases the Republi- can representation on the. principa committees by one. This will give the Democrats 13 members on the big committees and the Republicans eight members, as against division of IA and seven in the last congress.
 On the ways and means committee the Democrats decided to give the mi nority an additional member. This will make places for "Nick" Long worth of Ohio, and Representative Ebenezer Hill of Connecticut, who were members of the committee be- fore the Republican exodus in 1912.
 The Democrats. under the plan ap' proved by today's caucus, will lose one member on the military aHalrf committee, and one on the. naval com mittee. The arrangement of thu Democratic members of these com mittees make it certain that the ad' ministration's preparedness program will be committed to thorough scrut. lny before it reaches the floor or tht house.
 Taylor Among Fortunate. The formal nomination of Repre- sentative Champ Clark as the Demo cratic candidate for speaker ana tne nomination of other officers Of tnt house, were made in a Democratl' caucus last spring. Among those selected for places ol the rivers and harbors committee Il s. M. Taylor of Pine Blum, represent ing the Sixth Arkansas congresslona district.
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