The Washington times., 1910-11-14
REPUBLICANS SEARCHING
FOR A PARTY LEADER
Being in the Minority 1t Is Now Necessary to Have Man
Who Can BRING About Harmony Among
the Factions.

The question OF the leadership in the
Senate and the minority leadership IN
the House IN the Sixty-secOnd Congress
Is going to occupy much consideration
when the Republican leaders cOngre-
gate in Washington for the beginning
of the coming short session of Con
ETess.
Talk is now that President Taft viii
take a hand in this matter, on the
ground that if there is to be anything
like harmony in the Republican party
there must be an adjustment OF the
Ieaderships in Congress, which VIII tend
10 minimize factionalism-
To some extent, the matter viii be
made easier in the Senate for the rea-
son that Senators AIdriCh and Hale viii
step down and out after March next
For a time, there was a prospect that
Senator AIdrich might be sent back by
the state OF Rhode Island, but this
prospect now is slight With Aldrich
and Hale zone some new Republican
leader viii have to be centered on
While the elimination OF Aldrich and
Hale viii make the path clear in one
resnect. many difficulties are left The
man 10 take the leadership does not
loom I'D conspicuousIy- II will not be
Lodges friends have talked OF him, b7I,
he viii not be acceptable at all TO the
insurgents. Most OF them would pre-
fer Senator Crane to Senator Lodge
and Vet they would not consent TO lead
erShip by Mr. Crane, though the latter,
as chairman of the Rules Committee,
Is bound TO have much influence
Age Against Senator Frye.
L-s4r b.
er man he could probably come as near
making leader who would be generally
followed as any man in the Senate But
MS age is against him. He is held l.
ereet respect and esteem, but his years
make him impossible Of consideration
Senator Root is out Of the question as
leader, for the radical wing OF the Sen
ate Republicans is not pleased with the
New York Senator for having lined UP
pretty consistently under the Aldrtch
leadership. Many Of the insurgents
hoped that Mr. Root would not do this
when he got into the Senate and they
have been disappointed A man who
has some qualifications for leadership
Is senator Burton. Of Ohio, but iatterly
senator Burton has been 50 pronounced
AGAINST the progressives or insurgents
that he has incur ed their enrnlty- he
would not be a haTmOnlzer-
one suggestion Is that a leader be Sc
IeCIed from the inSuTgent group, with
the obecct of promoting harmony Pres
ide7t Taft Is said TO be giving serious
consideration 70 the idea Of making
Senator CUmTnlnS the Senate leader
Senator CUmmirs I'm his recent Chicago
speech pleaded for party harmony 10 the
extent that he wanted Republicans TO
feht out their differences among them
selves and present a solid front 10 the
Democrats. But r. Is hardly 20 be eX-
peCted the Old-Ilme regulars Of the Sen
ate would accept C1mmius as leader, OF
any other man among the insurgents
Knute Nelson's Position
Senator Rnute Nelson OF Minnesota
would have considerable following as
a leader who would win support from
both Republican factions Senator
Nelson's course in the BaIIinEer-Pin-
chot investigation. as chairman OF the
special committee has. however,
aIienated him from a number Of the
prOEressives.
what looks much more likely just
now than the choice OF any one man
as Senate Republican leader is the
formation of coup Of leaders
Something in the direction OF har-
roouv between regulars and insur-
gents might be done by forming group
on which both elements would be
represented Group leadership OF the
Senate is by no means a new tnlns-
It obtained. for instance IN the Gays
when AldTich- Allison Hale ana Ut
Vile Platt ran the upper house now
a group composed q crane OF Louser
or both Root. Nelson ana S-uLillllllSs
r75c-nt run things with q fair degree OK
sr7oot hnesS in most matters. another
man we'll qualified 10 set into Jhe
group is Borah of Idaho warren OF