Word: rainey
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Though the spirit of Congress was new, its mechanics were as old as the U. S. Proceedings began in the House with the election of Illinois' white-thatched Henry Thomas Rainey to the Speakership as a result of last fortnight's Tennessee-Texas-Tammany deal in the Democratic caucus. He got 302 votes to the 110 cast for his Republican opponent, New York's Snell&3151;an immediate demonstration of the Democrats' margin of House control...
After Speaker Rainey had sworn in the membership with one thunderous oath* and the President's message had been read, the House plunged headlong into H. R. 1491, "an act to provide relief in the existing national emergency in banking." So hastily had the bill been drawn up that no printed copies of it were yet available for members. Their only knowledge of what they were being asked to approve came from a clerk's sing-song reading of the lone text which still bore last-minute corrections scribbled in pencil. Chairman Steagall of the yet unorganized Banking...
...measure. But, as always, pensions spawned mutiny. Tennessee's hulking Browning, A. E. F. field artillery captain, induced the caucus to adopt an amendment prohibiting the President from discontinuing a single pension now on the rolls and limiting his cuts to 25%. For the moment Speaker Rainey and Leader Byrns had lost their grip on their party, for the Browning amendment practically nullified the bill's purpose. If the caucus had bound itself to that proposition, President Roosevelt would have been ditched by his own House. But it takes a two-thirds caucus vote to bind. The party...
When the new House meets, the formality of electing its Speaker will occur. New York's Republican Snell will get about 117 votes. With 313 votes Democrat Rainey will be elevated to the rostrum to take legislative command of the New Deal...
Representative Rainey's victory did not come without a major concession in power and prestige. Heretofore Democratic Speakers have always run the House without a "steering committee" such as Republicans regularly employ. Speaker Rainey was ready to take orders from a committee of twelve chosen geographically to represent the will of the party in the House...