Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-12-06
Democrats Seek
Solid Vote to
Rule House.
DANISH FRICTION
CAUCUS
Steering and Rules
Battle Fail to
MateriaIize.
BY WILL T. KENNEDY,

The Democrats will vote their
full Strength-219-in the election
Of John N. Garner as Speaker,
organizing the House tomorrow,
the first time in history that such
100 per cent attendance has been
achieved at the opening of a
session.
They cast 218 votes in the
Democratic caucus yesterday, the
single absentee being Percy Stew
art from the fifth New Jersey
district as successor to the late
Representative Alderman, who
did not get his certificate of cleo
ton in time to attend the caucus
but who arrived last night.
While there are today PIG Democratic
votes in Washington ready to be cast
for Garner for Speaker. the most that
Representative Bertrand H. Smell, the
Republican nominee, can hope to get
is 2l3, because word was received from
Memphis that Representative J. Will
Taylor will be unable to attend because
of sickness In their caucus the Re-
publicans could muster but 1913 of their
PA votes in the incoming House.
Harmony Rules Caucus.
BY unanimously nominating Garner
and electing Representative Henry T.
Rainey of Illinois as their floor leader,
and by approval of the program Of
liberalizing the rules as presented by
Representative Charles r. Crisp Of
Georgia, fixing the number Of Signers
to a petition to discharge the rules at
las, identical with the Republican pro-
posal, by vote of $50 to 80, the Demo-
Gratis demonstrated that their member
ship has been tremendously CONSOLE
dated for wrestling control from the Re-
publicans.
None of the predicted bitter fights"
or clashes" developed at the caucus.
No effort was made to break the senior
ity rule under which the South, by un-
sWerving loyalty to the party for many
years, has gained the Craftsmanship Of
many of the major committees. The
one proposal that threatened to cause
a divisional resolution calling for crea-
ton of a steering committee on party
policy and legislative procedure-Was
withheld by its chief advocate, Repre-
sentative William A. Ayres of Kansas,
who said:
Yesterday several gentlemen both for
and against this resolution talked with
me asking me not to introduce it, stat
ing that it would cause the only fric-
ton in an otherwise harmonious eau
Gus. They called my attention to the
fact that several gentlemen had waived
aside their ambition of being majority
leader for the sake of harmony and
for the same reason this resolution
should not be presented. I promised
my answer this morning.
Holds Steering Proposal
L certainly would regret being the
cause Of creating the only rift in an
otherwise perfect gathering While
would like 10 give the members an OPP
portunity 10 vote on the resolution
win or loSe-and Notwithstanding my
feelinng that the resolution is fair and
sets forth true democratic principles,
for the sake Of harmony and that
| alone I shall not present the resolu-
ton"
The procedure in the caucus ran like
well oiled machinery. Garner was
nominated by Representative Hatton
w. Summers of Texas and the nomina-
ton was seconded first by Represent
ative Thomas Cullen of New York
Continued on Page 4, Column p