Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-09
C. 0. P.FACES FIGHT
TO HOLD MAJORITY
First Ohio District Party
Man and Speakership
Are Problems.
Continued From First Page.)

to pick Speaker from the North and
East at this time or one from the West.
They will have to consider also the
qualifications of the man to take that
position. Presiding over the House at
the coming session of Congress will be
no sinecure. The Speaker will have to
be man Of judgment, fairness and
courage.
Both Mr.. Tilson and Mr.. Smell were
out of Washington today, the former
in Asheville, N. c., and the latter in
Potsdam, N. Y. Mr.. Wood would not
discuss the question of the selection of
a new Speaker. IT. Is understood that
he is well satisfied with his present job,
chairman of the Committee on Appro-
priations. However, the speakership is
a great honor, and If the Republican
members of the House should desire Mr..
Wood to become their candidate for
Speaker, he undoubtedly would accept
the designation.
Loss to Nation.
Mr.. Wood spoke feelingly of the death
of Mr.. Longworth. He said: THE
death of Speaker Longworth is a dis
tinct loss to the Nation. His long serv-
ice in the House of Representatives fit
ted him as but few men have been fitted
1OI 1tklSldLlNe SSINlCC. Wdo o AiidAA
Of splendid judgment. He weighed pub
lie matters well before acting. Once
his mind was made up he was positive
in his convictions. He commanded the
respect of all his colleagues. To know
him was to love shim"
Mr. Tilson sent the following state
ment to his Office here regarding the
death of Speaker Longworth.
Mr.. Longworth will go down in his
toFy as one of the great Speakers of the
House Of Representatives, with such
men as Clay, Reed, Cannon and the
very few others who have left an in
delible imprint on our legislative and
national policies. He was a statesman
in all that word implies. Holding high
Office and exercising great power he
never used his office or power other
than for the best interests of the coun-
try, so far as he could determine what
those interests were. knew him in
timately for more than 20 years and in
all that time never observed any act
which could be attributed to selfish in
terests or to motives other than the
purest patriotism.
In his death the country has lost
an eminent and able public officer, a
man with courage to. face any crisis
and with tact and good judgment to
handle any situation however difficult,
and those of us who knew him per-
sonally have lost a warm and loyal
friend"
Ever since the results Of the 1880
election were announced it has been a
question as to which party, Republican
or Democratic, would organize the next
House and elect a Speaker because of
the narrow margin of Republican con-
troll. Death might change the situation
Hyoc fla oil
Of the last Congress Speaker Longworth
spoke almost prophetically when he said
that it was "only an All-wise Providence
who is going to determine which of the
two major parties will organize the next
House"
Five Deaths in House.
There have been five deaths OF House
members. Two Of the vacancies thus
created have already been filed, both
Tammany districts in New York, and
Democrats were chosen to fill the
Democratic vacancies. Three vacan-
cies exist today, caused by the deaths
OF Speaker Longworth, Representative
Aswell of Louisiana and Representative
Cooper of Wisconsin The actual count
IN the House today is ZIG Republicans,
215 Democrats and l Farmer-Labor
There are two Republican vacancies
and one Democratic. The sole Farmer
Labor member of the House, Represen-
tative Kvale of Minnesota, has not said
definitely whether he will join with
the Republicans or the Democrats in
the vote for speaker. He has indicated
he will be for the candidate who sup
ports the Progressive program laid down
by Representative La Guardia, Repub-
lican, of New York.
The Democratic leader Of the House
and candidate for the speakership is
Representative John Garner of Texas.
When prominent members of the
House died in the past. since woman
suffrage became national, their widows
! have been in several instances chosen
as their successors. Serving in the
House today are Mrs. Kahn, widow
of the late Representative julius Kahn
Of California; Mrs. Edith Nourse Rog-
ers, widow Of the late Representative
John Jacob Rogers of Massachusetts,
! and Mrs. Ef1iegene Wingo of Arkansas
Mrs. Oldfield of Arkansas succeeded
the late Representative William Old
field, Democratic whip Of the House
after his death.
Whether the Republicans in the first
Ohio district will insist upon Mrs. Long
worth's taking the place so long held by
her distinguished husband is not
known. Mrs. Longworth in the past,
while taking keen interest in public
affairs, has never aspired to public
Office and is understood to have refused
to be considered for the Office Of Re-
publican National Committeewoman for
Ohio. AS the widow of Speaker Long
worth and the daughter of the late
President Theodore Roosevelt, it was
suggested here today Mrs Longworth
would make strong candidate if she
could be persuaded to run for Office.