The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-27
n CULBERSON
 IS THE CHOICE Texan for Senate's
 Minority Leader. NO VOICE IN COMMITTEES Bankhead and Johnston May Not Be Favored. None But the OId senaters on the Democratic Side are Ever h Given the Good
BY ALFRED .. sTorER.

"oSHhtStoiis 3NUF. <o--tSpecfaf. J---Ali indications point to the selection of
 Hon. Charles A. culberson of Texas as
 leader of the minority in the Senate, He has never been an avowed cam didate for the position and has made no formal announcement of his candi- dacy. Before the close Of the last ,ses-
 sion quite a number of his Democratic associates in the upper branch of Congress voluntarily informed him that he was their choice for the lead ersEfp. and during the recess he has
 had letters from others predging their support. and these. it is said. constf-
 ute more than half of the Democratic
 senators. As they begin to arrive in the city for the opening Of Corrress others seem inclined to support the Iexan. and 1t is doubtful If Mir cuI- person Will have any opposition bv the time the Democratic caucus meats The belief is widespread that Sena- tor Culberson is an exceptionally we'll squlpped man for the leadership. He IS Tn the prime of life. having reached the age of 52 on the 10th of last June. ana IS a native of Tailapoosa County Alabama. having been taken to Taxns oy his parents when but little over one year old. St WY The Senator enjoys splendid health and IS considered one Of the best-fook.s ing men in public life He also rnnks high as an orator, and never Hnesiss m the Senate from manuscript beinx ever-ready to participate in the lfve- Hest discussions. Little. Power for Leader. 4 minority leader of the senate aass not have the same power that Speaker cannon has accorded 10 Hon. Joian
 sharp Williams in permitting him to practically make up the pemocrafio iists Tor ths consnittae of the popular branch of CoDgresss over In the HAr-
 ate Bemocratfr steering eonanitfas Is first selected. They get toKefI,sf and agree upon the promotions fof the older Senators at the beginning of | new Congress and as to where new Senators shall he placed. Of coursc.
 the leader is the head of this steering committee and has considerable irl-
 uence in the recommendation that are handed fin to the majority steering committee.
 The vice-Presldent, wllo Is presi- dent of the Senate. has no voice what ever in the matter. The Senate makes
 up It's own committees. The fact. however. did not prevent, In 1893. | special writer forSa New York paper from making blunder that caused him to be the laughing stock of the day because he unmercifulIy lamhasted Vice-President Adiai E. Stevenson uit- der the impression that he was respon- sible for the complexion of the Senate Finance Committee. It was during the special session of the Fifty -seeond Congress. called by President Cleve- land, for the repeal of the silver pur- chasing clause of what was known as the sherman law. 1t will be remem- bered that after long debate in the House. the administration program was carried out in the face of the strenuous opposition of the late Mir. Bland of Missouri and his followers. But the Senate Finance Committee was hostile to the proposition. and for two weeks or more it was extremely doubtful if enough votes could be mus tered to repeal the clause. It was finally accomplished through a union of the gold Democrats and the bulk of the Senate Republicans. with the aid of just enough former silver Dem ocrats who broke away from the reg tilar organization.
 Ten Chairmamships Only.
 Only ten of the Senate Committee chairmanships are allowed the Demo- crats, and as committees they amount to little or nothing, for they seldom have a meeting owing to the fact that tt IS u FdtS tniHS ulil is IStGftEu to them, The late venerable Senators Morgan and Pettus of Alabama had chairmanships and committee rooms, with secretaries and clerks, of course. The other Democrats favored in the last Congress with small chairman ships were Tillman of South Carolina. Daniel and Martin of Virginia, Bacon and Clay of Georgia. Teller of Colo rado, McEnery of Louisiana and Berry of Arkansas. Senator Jeff Davis, suc- 'cessor to Colonel Berry, win not even get small chairmanShip, for no new Senator has that much good luck He will have to stand back like MT. Tay- Tor of Tennessee, Judge Paynter of Kentucky. and the two new Senators that will be sent up to Washington from Oklahoma.
 Senators Bankhead and Johnston of Alabama cannot even hope to be placed on any of the important committees which have Democratic vacancies caused by the death of both Senator Morgan and Senator Pettus.
 Colonel Bankhead's friends are hop ing that he will be assigned to the vacancy on the Commerce Committee vacated by the retirement from Con- gross of Senator Berry of Arkansas, as thIs committee handles the river and harbor bill after 1t is passed by the House. This would be out of the usual line if Colonel Bankhead were to be so favored.
 Senator Clarke of Arkansas. If he wants to go on the Commerce Com mittee, would have 6 good claim on the minority managers. Possibly he may have his eye oh something else he thinks better but Senators from down South are very anxious to he on the committee which deals with the fmprovemef.S of the waterways In the last Congress. MT, Clarke was on only two committees he could mem tion with any satisfaction or pride. They were Immigration and Territo ries. In addition to being chairman of the unimportant Committee on En- grossed Bills. Senator Berry was q member of tho powerful Committees on Appropriation aud Commerce.
 The death of Senators Morgan and Pettus will make vacancies on six of the leading committees which will De