The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-16
'rse UnderuU00d Or McAd00 F He 4
INSURGENTS WIN M HOUSE FIGHT
from Page One,

ator Bruce, Maryland. who voted last Wednesday for Senator Cum mins, their lines would remain intact. Election of Senator Smith if the "Old Guard" refuses to accept either Senators Howell or Couzens was en- lette of Wisconsin, the lnsurgent leader, who declared in a formal statement that this would be a "clear cut victory for the progressives In the Senate and in the country" Sem ator LaFollette's statement was is- sued from his home where he Is re- covering from an attack of grippe, and was the first public announce ment from him on the fight since the Senate deadlock began last Monday. The insurgents plan. as outlined today. is to vote for Senator Howell on the first ballot Monday and then if he fails to obtain majority. to switch to Senator Couzens. Should he also fail to gain sufficient sup port for election, some of the group at least would throw their votes to Senator Smith, who received five votes from republican insurgents and the two farmer-labor senators from Minnesota, last Wednesday and failed of election on one ballot by only one
 0 O O
 Plan Set In Motion.
 The plan which, temporarily at
 
 the organization fold was set in mo- tion while one movement was under way to put both an insurgent and an additional democrat on the rules committee, end another was gaining headway in the republican organiza- tion ranks to accede to the demo- cratic demand for a fifth committee member. while holding out against the Nelson group.
 MT. Tilson, who is veteran mem- Der of the ways and means ocmmitee, announced he was satisfied with that assignment and had no desire to serve on the rules committee, al- the republican committee. He sug- gested. in the interest of party harmony, that his name be with drawn and that Mir. Nelson be as- signed to the committee.
 The proposal was discussed at a conference, held prior to the general meeting of House republicans and attended by Speaker Gillett, mem bers of the steering committee, Mir Nelson, Representatives Cooper of Wisconsin, and Woodruff of Michi- gan, both active in the insurgent movement and other party leaders.
 Little time was lost by the con ference in approving the shift in committee asignments and the word
 
 stand solidIy with the republican or ganization in putting through the committee sla tes.
 InsurEent leaders, however, em- phasized that their group was in no way obligated to support the organi- zation's legislative program or pro- posals. and it was announced that they would continue their fight to obtain more liberal House rules. :. against the four democrats who will be members of the rules com mittee-Pou of North Carolina. Gar ret of Tennessee, Bankhead of Ala bama and O'Connor of New York the republicans will have five who have consistently supported the or ganization prosram-Snell of New York. who will be chairman; Bur ton of Ohio. Scott of Michigan Moore of Illinois and Bixler of Penn sylvania. Two other republican members-J ohnson of South Dakota and Schall of Minnesota--hav on occs sions stood out against the or ganization and some leaders pre- dicted today that there might be propositions on which thev would be inclined to line m with Nelson