Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1912 — LIVELY LITTLE ROW IN HOUSE [ARTICLE]

LIVELY LITTLE ROW IN HOUSE

Democrats Split and Republicans Hold Balance of p ower. OVER COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP Insurgent Norris of Nebraska Works for Victor Murdock to Succeed Madison on Rules Committee. Washington, Jan. 12. —A lively row In the house of representatives over the appointment of a successor to the late Representative Madison of Kansas on the rules committee was reminiscent of tile Sixty-First congress, when the Republican regulars and insurgents fought bitterly at every opportunity and the Democrats held the balance of po.wer. t • This time it was the Democratic party that was split with control in the hands of the Republican regulars.. It was considerable of a tempest in a teapot at that The late Representative Madison was an. insurgent and Minority Leader Mann had named Representative Campbell of the same state, a reactionaiy regular, as his successor on the rules committee. The Re rublican insurgents, under the leadership of Mr. Norris of Nebraska, protested vigorously and enlisted the support of the progressive element in the Democratic party, with whom they had worked against “Czar” Cannon in the Sixty-First congress. Mr. Norris pro- ' posed the name of Representative Mur-

dock of Kansas for membership on the rules committee in opposition to Mr. Mann’s nomination of Mr. (Campbell. The debate lasted for a couple of hours. Majority Leader Underwood seemed to look at the situation with great seriousness and made a lengthy and extremely solemn speech, urging bis colleagues to stand .by Mann's nomination of Campbell, which had the endorsement of the ways' and means committee. Democrats and warning his side that to take any other attitude would be to forfeit the personnel of hirortant committees in the house. The vote on Norris.’s nomination of Murdock, the red-haired Kansas insurgent, was 107 to 107 and Mr. Campbell got the place. But the twentysix 'hard and fast Republican insurgents and eighty-one Democrats voting with them and those members of the majority party who are disposed to think Mr. Underwood has been getting too much space in the newspapers as the Moses of the Democratic party were inclined to make a good deal of the fact that he could not hold his strength together on this occasion. The leading Democrats of the body Jo not seriously believe, however, that jmy real split has occurred. After being beaten on the Murdock nomination Mr. Norris moved that Representative Warburton of Washington be elected to the vacancy on the Hardwick special sugar commission caused by Mr. Madison’s death. He was overwhelmed on this proposition the vote 'bteing 167 to 21 against him.