The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-01
Republicans Bury All Their
Chances of Controlling
House.
OLD GUARD IN SADDLE
Mann Will Be Candidate
for Speaker Without
Hope of Winning.
GARDNER BOLTS CAUCUS
Party Detection Insures Or
ganization of Chamber
by Democrats.
GARDNER BOLTS CAUCUS

WASHINGTON. March S1.-Republicans
buried their hopes for controlling the
House organization and levelled the
grave at a Caucus to-day with an Old
Guard steam roller. At a party confer
ence. in the afternoon, after hopes OF
electing n Speaker or controlling the
House committees had gone glimnerng.
James r. Mann was unanimously nomi.
mated for the Speakership and a slate
OF House officers was adopted.
The absence of three Republican mem
bers on Monday is virtually certain the
refusal OF four Republicans to vote for
Mann seems highly probable, and In view
OF these conditions It is possible the
Democrats will obtain the votes Of either
Schall or Martin of Louisiana.
Representative Hellgesen of North
Dakota was operated on for appendicitis
in a local hospital yesterday; Repre-
sentative Capstick OF New Jersey, WI /,
was re'noved to n hospital Yesterday,
may not be able to attend the opening
session: Representative Bleakley Of
Pennsylvania, who is reported to have
pleaded noio contendere to a charge Of
violating the campaign contributions act.
Is not expected to be present when the
balloting on Speaker and House or.
ganization begins.
Gsrdaer Walks Oat.
yori OF the Ave so-called independents
attended the conference Representative
elect Fuller Of Massachusetts. Progress
sivc. whom the Republicans hoped would
confer with them. arrived to-day and
announced that he FIRST would vote for
Representative Lenroot Republican, for
Speaker.
There was only one display OF open
insurgency at the conference. Declar-
ing he would vote only for Mr.. Lenroot
for Speaker. Representative Gardner of
Massachusetts bolted the meeting after
failing to obtain adoption Of a resolution
to provide that members present should
not be bound By conference action. Rep
resentatives Gray OF New Jersey and
Dallinger OF Massachusetts left with Mr..
Gardner. but Mr.. Dall!neer returned
later. and Republicans were hopeful to-
night that they would be able to induce
him to vote for Mr. Mann.
Immediately after Mr. Gardner's with
drawal Representative Longwor,h Of
Ohio offered resolution 10 bind the
members to vote for the conference
nominee. and asked that 1t he voted
down. This was done by large vote.
leaving the 1876 members who voted for
Mr.. Mann free to SUPPORT whom they
please on Monday when ballot!ng or
House organization begins.
The committee OF twenty on
steam roller in the morning py arbitra-
rily taking over the nominating power,
raining an Old Guard committee or
c: mmlttecs, and further authorizing tina,
th!s committee nominate the all impor-
tant steering committee of four members
and the floor leader.
While the progressive elements in
the committee of twenty seven professed
complete satisfaction with this action
they announced quietly that they have
not committed themselves to the Old
Guard ard will watch carefully the
recommended tions OF the committee or
committees for appointments on tho
standing committees OF the House and or
the steering committee.
Republicans Abssnt.
The following Republicans were absent
when the conference convened: Repre-
sentatives Bleakley. Britten, Capstick
Cooper Of West Virginia. Dillon. Dyer
Emerson, Gould. Helgesen, HolllnSs
worth. James. Kiess, Lundeen. Mapes
Miller Of Minnesota, Miss Rankin anc
Sells OF these Capstick. Cooper ant
Helgesen are Ill; Bleakley is not ex'
pected to appear; Miss Rankin will h,
here tomorrow two others are believed
to have stayed away because they dC
rot wish to pledge themselves to Mann
and Mapes refuses to enter any CLOSED
conference. The rest are expected t.
abide by the action OF the caucus
Following Is the report of the com
mittee OF twenty-seven. which wa
adopted by the conference without dis
sent:
"Pesolred. That committee assign
n,ents shall be made by a committee o'
committees, which shall have no othe
| function. The committee on committee
| shall consist of seventeen members tn
nominee OF the party for Speaker shal
be the chairman, and the other sixtee
members shall be elected by ballot b.
the Republican conference.
! "The committee believing that
| would facilitate the action of this con
ference In creating a committee on com
mittees suggests the following names 70
confederation as nominees for the per
! sonnel Of such cOmmittee
| "Messrs. Mann Gllinois). Gillett
(Massachusetts). Mondell wyoming
: F'ordney (Michigan). Kahn tCalifor
, nia). Moore Tennsylvania Nelso
! (Wisconsin). Longworth (Ohio). Fair
child tNew York;. Austin Tennessee
Anderson (Minnesota), Browning (Ne'
Jersey. Green Iowa). Sinnott core
gon), Wood Undiana), Leavis Ne
I braska). White (Ma!ne).
! an this recommendation the con-
mittsc has endeavored to take into cor
sldcraticn the geographical divisions q
the country and other elements neces
M y to make a representative body an
has selected one new member OF Cor
gress, Mr. white