Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-04
PROGRESSIVE BLOC
BARS ELECTION Of
SPEAKER IN HOUSE

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-The new
congress began its first session to
day and before it was an hour old
the house was in the throes of a
spectacular fight over the election
of a speaker.
The little progressive bloc, made
Up Of followers of Senator La
| Toilette, of Wisconsin, refused tC
support Speaker Gillett for re-elec-
| ton and preCipitated d deadlock
| blocking all other business.
Mr.. Gillett had the support OF the
| Republican organization, but his
strength fell short of the majority
over all necessary to elect. Tit
Democrats voted solidly for Repre-,
! sentative Garrett, of Tennessee, and
the bulk OF the progressive bloc
strength went to Representative
| Cooper, of Wisconsin.
| Compromise negotiations. to per-
nit of an a election within a day or
two were expected by the Repub
| lican chiefs, but as the voting went
on there were no Indications of
! capitulatiCn to the pro-.lssiVe bloc
| demand for concessions in commit.
tee assignments and changes in the
! On the senate side things went
| much more smoothly. BY pre-ar
| rangement a truce was declared in
| the fight over senate congratulations
and after a session of three-quarters
of an hour adjournment was taken
until tomorrow out of respect fo3
senator's who have died during the
nIne-mOnth recess.
Result of First Ballot
On the first ballot in the house
| speakership fight Speaker Gillet re.
ceived 1oS votes to 1875 for Repre-
sentative Garrett and II for Repre-
sentative Cooper. Representative
Madden, Republican,, Illinois, WIS
| given five votes.
The second ballot also failed to
result in an election.
| In both house and senate the
9avels fell promptly at II o'clock,
with Senator Cummins, of Iowa, the
! president pro tenn, presiding over his
| colleagues, and Clerk William Tyler
| Page occupying the speakers chair
of the house pending the outcome of
the fight over the Speakership.
| While on the senate side the opan-
ing fOrmalities passed off with the
| the threat of Il fight to force reor-
SanizatiOn of the senate and some
Of it's more important committees
was in the background.
. Organization Blocked
For an hour before the house went
| into session the progressive bloc had
| been in conference.
There will be no election of speak.
er today" said Representative Mel.
son, Of Wisconsin, chairman of the
group, after the meeting. He reiter-
ated that the bloc controlled enough
votes to prevent the reelection of
! Speaker Gillett, but declined to say
how long the insurgents expected to
! hold out.
"Our real fight" he said, will
J come later when we seek to modify
house rules -
| The senate Democrats also held a
| conference during the morning.
| elected Senator Robinson, of Arkan-
Sas, as Democratic floor leader. and
selected a slate of candidates for SEN
ate offices. The Republican senators
at a meeting last week had reelected
senator Lodge, OF Massachusetts, as
their leader
| Legislative issues were not discuss.
ed at the Democratic meetina
! While we are not DreDared and
do not propose at this time to assume
! the responsibility which devClyes ND.
on the majority to take the initiative
respecting the details of legislation, ."
SAID Senator Robinson afterWard "it
is expected that our organization will
stand for a material reduction in
taxes and for aggressive easures
to effcctUate retrenchment in public
I expenditures"
Farm Relief Favored
THE transportation question is
worthy of careful study and decisive
action. Practical and we'll considered
measures for the relief of conditions
among farmers will receive sympa.
thetic attention. Proposals advanced
/ for the adjustment of international
conditions are to be disposed of with
out partisanship."
Senator La Toilette, of Wisconsin,
| the recognized leader of the progress
sive bloc, was the only absentee
when the roll was called in the SEN
ate. He has been ill for several days
and probably will be unable to at
tend senate sessions before next
week. The new senator and those
reelected at the last election took
the oath of office, administered by
Senator Cummins, while crowds
which overfloWed the galleries, look
( ed on.
/ Mrs. Coolidge, wife Of the president,
! was seated with several friends in
the presidents gallery.
Balloting for speaker in the house
was delayed while the clerk went
| through the long formality of calling
the roll by states to determine Wheth-
er a quorum was present. The gal
leries there were packed, too, the
crowd extending into adjoining cor
ridors.
Senator Shipstead was accom-
panied bv Senator Brookhart, Re
publican, Iowa. as he went to the
/ presidents desk to take the oath.
Senator Johnson, who took the oath
later, was accompanied by Senator
Shipstead.