New-York tribune., 1910-03-21
fFror, The Tribune EHreau.I

Washington. March %.
4 LESSON FOR THE SENATE
Speaker Cannon and MS associates I'm the
House organization we're taught a bitter
lesson yesterday. VIII their experience
serve as a lesson 10 the Senate leaders
or VIII they refuse TO learn except by ex-
perienceg That Is one Of the most inter-
esting questions suggested by the defeat
Of Cannonism and the existing situation
In the Senate The passing OF the old
order In the Senate Is apparent % all who
stand at sufficient distance % get per-
spectite on the situation One by one
The Big Six has been reduced. by death
and resignation. until only two % the old
leaders are left. MessTs. AldTich and Hale
Senator Lodge has been taken into the
inner councils. but at the same time the
Senate he's beet gradually filling W. not
with Democrats. but with men opposed
20 the Aldrick lea iershiD. many Of whom
have personal ambitions to serve and all %
whom have radica! constituencies 70 eat.
isfy. The methods which formerly pre-
vailed will even now hardly achieve the
desired ends The authority exercised by
The manager % the Senate" as Mr.
Aldrich has long been called. is being con-
stantly dehed. and while success has not
yet actually crowned the efforts Of the in
surgents. new methods are required 90
meet the situation or they will succeed
MISI.ED BY PER5 R5ONALITY. Two fac
tors are making for the deception Of the
old leaders. The personality Of many OF
the Insurgents. their personal ambitions.
their exaggerated conceptions of their own
destinies and their individual characters
constitute one. The other has been appr1-
priately described by a playwright as moi
luscism' a dislnciinatiOn 20 yield % TIE
pressure Of tine tides. There is grave dan
ger that these factors will blind the men
who now control affairs In the upper House
TO the unquestionable fact that back of the
men who are termed insurgents is great
ana powerful movement an insurrectiOnary
spirit, which has spread throughout the
land. the spirit which made possible yes
terlay's overthrow OF Cannonism and which
will make inevitable the downfall Of the
Aldrich leadership if IL is not squareIy faced
and ably dealt with Il Is useless 20 point
10 the character a. the men who happen 20
represent this spirit and % estimate its
reality and strength ny their personality
Had NOT the spirit been real such mcd
voulc hardly have come 20 the Senate. II
product OF the muck raker and has no
legitimate parentage. II was the dlssatis-
faction with Jne Oil order. however that
dissatisfaction may have been created
which made their election possible Neither
Will = serve any useful end 10 argue thai
such men hack the capacity of leadership
True a. that may be-. Incapable as they
may be OF constructive statesmanshin, By
the present leadership Witness yeste.-
days result in the House
PARTLY NEUROLOGICAL sug-
gest that Nelson W. AIdrich has lost any
of his capacity 10 gauge situation in the
Senate or 10 estimate the strength Of his
opponents is TO invite immediate and en-
platte denial from most OF those who
know well the Rhode Island statesman.
And yet there is psychological truism
involved which, when dissOciated with in
dividuals few will deny. As the ablest
men grow older the ends Of their nerves
more nearly approach the surface: they
become more intOleTant Of opposition and
less am=nable 10 change. With a dimin-
ishing number of regular Republicans in
the Senate, the work Of each increases,
and yet each grows older year by year
Few men know human nature as well as
Mr.. Aldrich. Few enjoy keener political
perceptions, and il is entirely possible that
he will adapt himself 20 the changed con-
ditIons. Yesterdays lesson in the House
may not be lost on him. but success will
soon be attainable by him only through
change Of method
\ CASE IN POINT.-It has long been the
custom of the AIdrich LeadeTshin when CON