The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-07
CILLETT'S DECISION ONPOINT0F
ORDER EFFECTUALLY SETTLES PLAN
TOPROBE NEGRO VOTING in SOUTH
Decision Is Made on Request of
Republican Leader Mon
dell After Fight.
HOUSE APPROVES BY
OVERWHELMING VOTE
Democrats Were Ready to Enter
Fray But Republican Leader
Won Single-Handed.
(By The Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, May 6.-Rising to
question Of the highest constitutional
privilege, Representative Tinkham, re-
publican, Massachusetts, threw the
house into an uproar today over a de-
mand for immediate consideration of a
resolution affecting the rights of negro
voters in the south.
The battle, mainly along parliament
tary lines ragged for two hours, but in
the end the proposal was rejected on a
point of order by Representative Mon
dell, the republican leader. Still de-
termined to press the fight, Mr.. Tink-
ham appealed from Speaker Gillett's
decision sustaining the point of order,
but the house stood by the speaker, 2S5
to 46.
The Tinkham resolution, substanti-
ally the same as that presented during
consideration of the reapportionment
bill at the last session, had been ex-
pected, and democrats were ready to
jump into the fray. The republican
leader went to the front, however. and
won the day alone.
AS framed by the Massachusetts,
member, the resolution would have di-
rected the census committee to pro-
ceed forthwith to make diligent inquiry
respecting the extent to which the
right to vote is denied or abridged to
citizens of the United States, prior to
a bill for reapportionment Of the house.
In the course of long argument,
Mr.. Tinkham declared the resolution
was in order ahead of all business, that
the same measure offered before never
was reported out by committee and
that if referred again it would meet
the same fate. He demanded immedi-
ate action, proceeding which Mr.
Mondell opposed on the ground that if
the Tinkham plan should prevail mem
bers could come in any day with other
complaints against enforcement of pro-
hibition under the 18th amendment and
thus upset the regular business of the
body. The only democrat to break in
during the debate was Representative
Gallivan, Massachusetts,, who wanted
to know how long Mr.. Tinkham ex-
pected to speak.
II want to vote with him, but if he
talks too long he may lose a vote" Mr..
Gallivan shouted, and the house roared.
Representative Garrett of Tennessee
dCllItS lcdueT, sought recOg-
milton as Mr.. Mondell concluded his
answering argument, but Speaker Gill
lett said he was ready to rule. This was
accepted as conclusive even before the
speaker began a long statement that
the Tinkham plan had failed.
1t was largely on demand of Mr.
Garrett that the house voted on
straight out question of sustaining the
chair, rather than on a substitute by
Mr.. Mondell to table the Tinkham ap-
peal. This settled the issue definitely
so far as action at this session goes.
Members said later the Gillett decision
probably would stand longer than the
lifetime of the average representative.
Mr.. Mondell in quoting authorities.
recalled that Il republican house 20
years ago refused to rush through a
similar proposal. He declared the
Tinkham resolution was precisely the
same in form as that offered by Repre-
sentative Olmstead of Pennsylvania, in
1901, and thrown out on a point of or
der, with Speaker Henderson in the
chair.