The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-16
NICK RULED IN
HOUSE FIRMLY,
imp ARTIALLY
Decisions, First Protested,
Later Are Recognized as
Near Perfect.
This Is the sixth instaIlment Of "the
storY Of Nicholas Longworth."
BY HERBERT LITTLE,
InIieh Press stan Corresnondent

United Press stan Correspondent
WASHINGTON, April 16.-The
Republicans had a precarious hold
on the sixty-eighth house of repre-
sentatives in 1923 when Nicholas
Longworth became majority leader.
Frederick H. Gillett was ready to
start his third term as Speaker, but
the 1922 off-year elections had
swept away the comfortable ma
iority Of the 1920 Harding landslide.
Warren Harding died in August,
1923, in San Francisco, and tight
Tipped Vermonter took the oath by
a Pickering oil lamp. The country
was recovering from a depression,
all but the farmers, and a score of
western Republican members of the
house, supporters of Senator Rob-
ert M. La Toilette, were muttering
threats.
The house was divided as follows:
Republicans, 225; Democrats, 2O6;
Independents, 2; Socialist, /: va
cancy, /.
The twenty western Republicans,
who called themselves ProgreSsiyes,
had been meeting together in an
independent manner to determine
their course of action and it was
feared by some they would vote
with the Democrats.
Laid Groundwork for Triumph
Longworth met the Progressives,
who presented demands for liberal
ization of the rigid house rules, per-
hitting members or groups of men,
bers more latitude in bringing up
specific measures for consideration
and vote.
Eastern conservative Republicans
urged the new leader not to make
any concessions, fearing adoption of
radical legislation.
IF this die-hard policy had been
followed" Longworth said later, "the
result simply would have been bloc
government, rather than party gov
eminent, in the house. There could
have been no Republican legislative
program. After some conferences
and adjustment Of views an agree
MT was reached which was salts
factory to both sides, and the house
was organized by solid Republican
majority.
This was the groundwork for
Longworth's triumph of 1925. La
Toilette led his men off the Re-
publican reservation in 1924 to
terrific defeat, and the Republican
majority in the house mounted
again. Gillett, a mild man, retired
to comparative obscurity by being
promoted to senator, and Longworth
got his job.
PrOgressives Were Punished
AS Speaker, one of Longworth's
flrst acts was to punish severely
the La Toilette men. They were de-
prived of committee seniority under
the Republican party, and patron
age.
But Longworth chastised them so
gracefully that few felt resentment,
and in later years he allowed them,
very gradually and as they became
less insurgent, to partake of COM
mittee assignments and appoint
ment mama. And the rules were
made rigid and strict as before.
In the chair, however, Longworth
was rigidly impartial. His rulings
were protested by regular Repub-
licans as much as Democrats, al
though before long members devel-
oped such respect for his knowledge
of parliamentary law that few pro-
tests were made.
Studied Foreign Systems
He went to England, France and
Germany to study their legislative
bodies, and addressed the German
legislators in German and the
French chamber in French. He
came back believing more strongly
than ever in the efficacy of the two
party system.
There are only two sides to any
political question" he said often,
referring to the voters choices. He
believed the two-party system was
instrumental in this nations rapid
growth.
Il hope the day will never come
when we in the United States divide
political into parties based on geo.
graphical location, race or religion
worst of all, religion" he said
IT have no conviction more pro-
found than that no American citi-
zen is disqualified from holding
office, whatever his religion"
ANTDECC hIlII WEn