The Opening

At noon on December 3, both houses of the 68th Congress of the United States assembled for the first time:

The Senate. When the Senators assembled there was amity and friendship and good will, for--if they had had their quarrels in the way of business and had exchanged lusty buffets in many well-remembered battles -- they were all good fellows at heart.

Senator Albert Baird Cummins of Iowa assumed his seat as President protern, for the Senate--unlike the House --is a continuing body, two-thirds of its membership retaining their seats from one session to the next. According to a rule adopted in 1890, the President pro tern is elected to "hold office during the pleasure of the Senate and until another is elected."

But Mr. Cummins is not intrenched beyond possibility of attack in his post, which, since Mr. Coolidge became President, carries the Vice Presidential salary of $12,000. At any time a coalition of Democrats and insurgent Republicans can unseat him. He is co-author of the Esch-Cummins Transportation Act which is anathema to the La Follette group.

The excuse for deposing him would be that he ought not to have the double business of presiding all the time-- as he now must since there is no Vice President--and of carrying on the arduous duties of Chairman of the Interstate Commerce Committee. He could very well resign the latter post, except that then Senator La Follette would get that post by seniority--a dangerous eventuality for the regulars.

There is some precedent for a man being both President of the Senate and Chairman of an important committee. Mr. Cummins evidently intended to stand on precedent. He went to his seat, called the Senate to order, administered the oath of office to Senators newly reelected, elected and appointed.

There were Hiram Johnson and Ralston in the full bloom of candidacy. There was Borah, who led in the blind Senator, Gore of Oklahoma. There was Warren, father-in-law to General Pershing, last of the Civil War veterans, and Pat Harrison, the Democratic whip--all the others regular and progressive "of both parties," excepting only four, among them Mr. La Follette, who was still ill.

The session lasted less than an hour, and then adjourned in honor of the late Senators, Nicholson, Nelson, Dillingham.

The House. William T. Page, Clerk of the House, called that body to order. A roll call was taken to determine that a quorum was present. Then the House turned to the disturbing question of electing a Speaker. Mr. Gillett was nominated for the regular Republicans by Sidney Anderson of Minnesota. Mr. Garrett was nominated for the Democrats by Henry T. Rainey of Illinois. Then Edward E. Broune of Wisconsin rose and made a speech nominating Mr. Cooper for the insurgents, saying:

"Mr. Cooper may not be elected, but we nominate him as a protest against the rules."

Then Frank R. Reid of Illinois nominated his colleague, Mr. Madden, who promptly declared he was not a candidate. Nevertheless he was voted for by a group of Illinois "insurgents" who evidently did not care to class themselves openly with the Wisconsin and Minnesota variety.

At one o'clock the roll call began with 419 members present. It was almost four, when Mr. Longworth moved for adjournment, no one had been elected on four votes taken. He regretted that the House had not organized itself so that it could formally adjourn in memory of its members who died during the Summer--instead he moved an informal adjournment until the next day.

The four votes taken (throe or four members answered "present" on each ballot) were as follows:

First Second Third Fourth

Gillett 198 195 195 197

Garrett 195 193 196 196

Cooper 17 17 17 17

Madden 5 6 5 5

Total 415* 411 413 415

Everyone expected Mr. Gillett to be elected--ultimately--since the obstructionist tactics of the Cooper and Madden supporters were maintained merely to get concessions on the rules, but the vote revealed how the ten Wisconsin, six Minnesotan arid a few other scattered insurgents will have the power to tie up action all through the session on any question where the regular Republicans and Democrats are divided.

--With 415 members voting, 208 votes were necessary to elect.