The Washington times., 1917-03-28

When the Sixty-fifth Congress as
sembles on April in the special ses-
sion called by the President the clerk
Of the House. standing in the Speak
er's position, will face House more
evenly divided in political strength
than ever before in the history of
the country. The clerk being a con-
tinuing officer, to serve until his sue
cessor Is elected, will have consider
able to do with the election of
Speaker.
There Is nothing in the Constitution
which limits the election OF Speaker
to member OF the House, but the
heavens will fall probably before the
House goes outside of its membership
to select a presiding officer.
Although the coming election OF q
Speaker will undoubtedly be extreme
ly close, there being PA members ac-
credited to each main party, with fiye
so-called independents" on the side,
the situation is nowhere near so bit
ter as political criseses in which vari-
GUS Houses found themselves prior to
the civil war.
Long Battles In History.
Several Speakers before the days of
81 were elected only after long
drawn out battles, lasting many days
and marked by scenes of violence and
disorder such as cannot be imagined
today. Speakers Banks, Cobb, and
Pennington were not elected for
weeks after the House assembled.
Even then the membership had to de-
termine that a plurality would elect,
as a majority could not be obtained.
In the case of Nathaniel Banks of
Massachusetts, the House was with
out organization and without q Speak
er for two months. The same period
first termer from New Jersey, was
chosen.
1t took three weeks Of constant bal
Ioting and wrangling to elect Howell
Cobb, OF Georgia, to the chair.
slavery Great Issue.
The slavery question was the great
issue in December, 1s4e. In the
House were men who reflected many
shades OF thought in politics and eco
nomics. There were Northern Wings
and Southern wings. Thirteen of the
membership were Free Soil men, but
they called themselves Wings. These
were the radicals of the House and
seem at this later date to have held
the balance OF power. In addition
there were Jos wings and 112 Demo
Gratis.
Robert c. wInthrop,Nof Massachu-
setts, had been Speaker in the pre-
yious House, and the Whig element
wanted him returned to the chair.
but of the Free Soil party there were
eight men who would not accept him.
They believed he had ignored the
anti i-slavery party in the previous
Congress. The Free Soil Wings
wanted radical anti-slavery measures
taken and demanded rules which
would give the fullest play to their
sentiments. Winthrop would not
agree to this.
Situation BeeIouded.
Howell Cobb, of Georgia, was the
Southern candidate for the Speaker
ship, but the radicals would not sup
port him; and the situation was be-
clouded further by a fourth band OF
members, led by Congressman
Toombs and Stephens.
Cobb of Georgia, led by seven votes
on the first ballot, without obtaining
a majority of all present. There was
a large and scattered field of other
candidates. The clerk called for thir-
ty-six ballots before Winthrop with
drew temporarily and William ].
Brown Of Indiana leaped into sudden
prominence as the Democratic candi-
date. He came within two votes OF
| a majority.
ington was filled with great excite
nf deals
and steals and trickery and bribery.
Congressman Meade of Virginia called
CONGRESSMAN -Duer of New York,
"liar and a traitor" and q combat was
narrowly averted. So bitter ran the
feeling between the two main parties
that Congressman Colcock- OF South
Carolina, threatened to introduce a
resolution to dissolve the Union, after
the WIlmot proviso had been enacted.
This had a great effect upon the
Southern members.
Bills Pile Up.
However, what may have had just
as great an effect was the fact that
in those days a member Of Congress
could not obtain his salary until the
House had been organized. Unpaid
board bills were piling up, the mem
hers were mad and hot. and the money
lenders were doing a rushing busi-
ness.
Three weeks elapsed without ma
iority vote. On December % an agree
ment was reached whereby a final ef-
fort was to be made to elect by
majority: and after that IL majority
could not be obtained on the fourth
ballot the member with the greatest
number Of votes should be considered
Sneaker. On the fourth ballot COBB
received 102 votes and Winthrop re-
ceived 100, and there were twenty
scattering ballots.
Not Enough Type.
In the Thirty fourth Congress, which
finally chose Speaker Banks, there
were so many kinds OF political
thought represented in the House that
the printers of the Globe did not have
enough kinds Of type to differentiate.
There was large type, small type,
"caps" and italics in the printing Of
nee where the Congressional Globe
was published daily, but there were
about twenty kinds of politics. Some
of these were Free Sellers, Knoy
NothIngs, Northern and Southern
wings, Republicans and many sub
divisions. The big issue before the
country at that time was whether
Kansas should be slave State or a