Evening star., 1936-03-14
Leaders in Debate
Continued From First Page.)

had to bark down the demands Of 206
Democrats avid for scalps. He could
count on his side only 225 nominal
Republicans, and this group was so
riddled by the inroads of La Toilette
progressivism that Smell, In a heated
moment during debate, exclaimed:
There is no actual majority in this
House"
Here the Democrats applauded and
their leader, Finis Garrett Of Ten
nessee, arose to predict his party
would dominate the next Congress.
But it did not. Garrett, who only
by two votes a month before had
missed being named Democratic
Speaker of a supposedly Republican
House, was the ring-leader of the
single successful attack by the re-
belious faction.
This embarrassment to the Coolidge
Republicans lay in repeating the Un-
derwood rule gagging tariff and rev.
enue bill amendments offered from
the floor. The rule had been jam
med down the throat of Congress by
the Democrats themselves in 1911.
but it proved straitjacket for the
party of Jefferson when the G. o. P.
hammered through the Fordney-Mc-
Cumber tariff with its record OF high
duties.
Now Garret and his followers bel
lowed for the rules abolition. Aided
by John NJ. Nelson of Wisconsin, La
Toilette lieutenant, who brought %
Republicans into the Democratic
camp the ecstatic insurgents voted it
into oblivion, 2o8 to 1T. This re-
straint lifted, the Democrats later in
the session, under the leadership of
Garner, played ducks and brakes with
Andrew Melons revenue bill.
Undaunted, the imperturbable Smell
waved high the frayed gold banner of
conservatism. The Democrats pre-
pared for further assaults. But one
by one the rebel proposals were
knocked down like dominoes, until at
last the insurgents made ready for
their final charge. They rushed the
Republican stronghold to liberalize
the discharge rule" device invented
to forestall committee chairmen from
killing legislation by refusing to bring
bills to the floor.
CHARLES CRISP demanded that
100 names on petition be enough
to force House consideration of any
bill. The rule at that time called for
$50 names. Crisp and his colleagues
loudly walled against this hammer
lock the Republicans held on the
course of legislation. They COM
planned bitterly against the tactics of
former Representative Campbell,
SHELLS predecessor as rules chairman.
Campbell, according to Crisp's follow
ers, often buried in a big pocket bills
his committee had ordered him to
bring to the floor. Outraged John M.
Nelson declared:
"He kept about dozen in his pocket
all the time"
Adoption of Crisp's proposal would
have sunk the Republican organiza-
tion The House would have been
swamped by insurgent proposals forced
to a vote by petition. With his rip
saw voice. Smell forecast the death Of
government by the majority if the
move carried. In a fierce TRADE of
round, unvarnished epithets, he con-
signed the idea to perdition.
Nicholas Longworth, then Repub-
lican majority leader, leaped into the
fray. He told the House he saw the
fine hand of William Jennings Bryan
in the Democratic program. When he
remarked that the Great Commoner
and former Democratic standard
bearer still had telling influence"
pious William Upshaw. dry Georgia
Democrat, loudly interposed:
Amen"
Soon after. the Bryan influence was
swept to naught as the House voted to
retain the $50 rule, 225 to 1853. Bandy.
legged Bertrand SHELLS four-day
stand was a success.