The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1909-10-23

The Middle and Western
States Can Break II by
Keeping Their Represents
atives Steadily In Office.

second term Except once, when the
state was admitted-and even In that
case the senator was reelected for
full term after having served only
two years OF his first term. Then Lee
rs say that senators from these two
states, equally able and equally effec-
tive, enter Office at the same time.
Both are assigned to equally unimport-
ant committees, because the senate,
like any business body, wants to prove
what is in those new members by see
ing how they perform the humber
tasks, before they are given more inn
portant tasks--at least that Is the the
ory. Only men of tremendous and uni
versally-recognized power, possessing
special and extensive knowledge on
some subject of immediate and criti-
cal Importance, are given prominent
positions when they enter the SEN
ate; and no other new men should
be given advanced places until they
have earned them.
Let Us say that these two senators,
one from Rhode Island and one from
Washington, perform their duties
equally well-impress the senate as
being exactly alike. Make the state
ment even stronger, and let us say
that the western senator proves him
self superior in mind, courage and in
dustry to the New England senator.
When they have served two-tnirds OF
their first term-foir years-each is
assigned to more important commit
tees. In each instance, of course, they
go 10 the bottom of these committees,
IL would be fundamentally wrong to
put them any place else, just as II
would be fundamentally wrong to put
a new railroad employe above the
other men who have served the rail.
road capably for long time; and, be.
sides, the other senators already on
these committees would not consent
to have the new senators put ahead
OF them. That is only human nature,
Is 1t not?
The Law of Automatic Promotion.
The six years OF the first terms OF
these two senators expire. Suppose
the state of Washington retires its
senator, and the state OF Rhode Island
continues its senator. The state of
Washington sends a new man, who
necessarily cannot step into the shoes
OF its retiring senator, but who must
himself begin at the beginning and
travel the same road that the retiring
senator has Travelled. But the sena-
tor from Rhode Island keeps right on
-he is miles ahead of his new col
league from Washington lie is not
only ahead of the western senator in
experience, in knowledge of the meth
DDS of government and in training in
the machinery of legislation; but he
Is six years ahead of him in his place
on the senate committees, in which
latter circumstance resides one tangl-
BILE source of the control Of the SEN
ate,
Pursue the illustration still fur
Their. At the end of the second term
Of this imaginary senator from Rhode
Island, he Is still continued in the
senate by his state, and the imagin.
airy senator from Washington is again
retired, and again new man Is put
In his place. Again the new man from
Washington must begin where the
first senator from Washington began
twelve years before, whereas the SEN
ator from Rhode Island now, by the
very laws Of least resistance and effi-
cheney, is not only member OF the
most important committees, but is well
advanced toward the craftsmanship of
them.
But what Is the method of placing
senators on committees In the first
place or at any time? In this method
the long service OF senator counts
still more heavily in his concrete In
fiuence over that body. This, then, is
the method; each party holds eau
Gus, which every senator belonging
to that party attends. This caucus
first selects chairman. BY imme-
mortal custom the oldest senator in
point of service becomes chairman Of
the caucus by force of his seniority.
In theory, the caucus Is supposed to
select its chairman by majority vote.
but custom Is stronger than theory.
Unless this veteran senator, whose
long service makes him the caucus
chairman. IL actually revolutionary or
unbearably autocratic In the discharge
of his tremendously important func-
tions--which l shall describe In q mo
mentor unless he Is plainly too weak
q man for the place or extensively un-
popular, It Is not practicable to replace
him with any other senator. At any
rate, it never has been done.
THUS. II we pursue the illustration
Of the states of Rhode Island and
Washington. the Rhode Island sena
tor would be certain In time not only
to be more experienced and better in
/ formed In the work of the senate, not
only well toward the head Of impor-
tant senate committees, but what 10
more important from the point OF
view OF the so-called control OF the
senate the Rhode Island senator would
also be certain to become chairman
Of the caucus II he lived long enough;
whereas the long succession OF chang.
| ing Washington senator's new man
each term-would not only be com
| paratively uninstructed IN methods Of
legislation, but also at the bottom %
| the senate committees and with no
| chance 10 the world Of being : power
Tul factor In the Republican caucus:
and, OF course. without the possibility
| ~ hope Of ever becoming the caucus
| chairman, with what has been describ
Cd a. the tremendous duties' e that
once.
Pswsr Of Caucus Chairman.
| "As an illustration. suppose the