The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-11-22
Republican congressman
Have No Legislative Plans
SENATOR stones PLANS
aIissourian Hopes to Enable the Dem
ocrnfs TO Control the Senate BY
Combining Forces With
the Insurgents
By wArrTRsoN sTEALEY

b1 SIEAIHsA
washington. November A.-lspecal.)-
The House republican leadership is SO
fabbergasted over the democratic VIC
tory that it doesn't pretend to know what
will be the programme at the approach
ing session. or In fact, anything else
No one has heard anything from Speak
er Cannon and Representative Payne.
who. with Representative Dalzell, have
usually fixed up a complete cut and dried
schedule of legislation by this period
Mr.. Dalzell, who is here, confesses in
a dazed sort of way that he supposes
the regular appropriation bills will be
taken UP during the session but as for
other legislation all is blank.
True to the last to the old record of
graft and corruption republican congress-
men are talking more about a ship sub
sidy bill than any other feature of leg
islation.
Army officers are viewing with consid-
erable apprehension the growing inf1u-
ence of the militia. Some members of
the regular military establishment be-
lieve that their service is destined to
suffer on account of the requests which
ton. One project, which has become
known to the war department. relates
to the increase in the pay of officers and
enlisted men of the militia. If this prof.
ect goes through 1t will mean an extra
appropriation by the government of S.
000, 900 a year. bringing the total allotment
for the militia to S9,000,00o. It is fore
seen by some conservative army officers
that this will interfere with the appro-
pration for the army, and that eventu-
ally the militia will be regarded a
part of the regular military establish
ment in reckoning the appropriations for
national defense.
Tho importance of every man voting
ir- we'll iiiustrrsad~ by the recent election.
II is claimed that VIXEN the official fig
ures are obtafnable, It will be found that
in score of instances 100 votes would
have changed the result. The most strlk-
ing case, of course. is that of the Buffalo,
n. y, district where Representative
Alexander was defeated by one vote. In
the Cape Cod, Mass, district the repub-
lican candidate claims 7s majority
Senator stones Plans
Senator Stone of Missouri has written
a letter to his democratic colleagues and
several of the republican nsurgent SEN
ators suggesting a combination between
the two by which they will be able to re-
organize the Senate, obtain control of
the committees and apportion the chair
manships out among themselves. Such
combination, Senator Stone points out,
will smash the present stand-pat control
and make possible the enactment of pro-
gressiye legislation, which under the pres
ent regime is impossible
The senator's letter applies to the next
Congress In which the republican ma
jcrity will not exceed 10 and therefore six
insurgents aligned with the democrats
could control. 1t is unlikely that the
senator's suggestion will be adopted as
q hard and fast agreement There is a
distinct cleavage between the democrats
ard insurgents and many democrats fear
that they would have to pay too much
IN party principle for such assistance as
they would receive from the insurgents.
At the same time any proposition to
smash the standpatters will be imme-
diately accepted.
Similarly the insurgents are getting to
regard themselves as practically new
party and ii Is openly asserted here that
in the event of the control of the next
national convention by ths present re-
publican organization, which would mean
the denomination of President Taft, there
will unquestionably be held progress
sive' republican convention which will
nominate a presidential ticket of its own
This admitted would probably mean
inevitable republican defeat but the
progressive republican leaders do not
think 1t hurts their cause at all to go
down fighting for their principles
whereas they would regard a surren-
der to the organization element of their
party as fatal.
To preserve their individuality, how
ever. they feel that 1t is not well to
merge themselves with the democrats
either in or out of the Senate. And
hence there has been no enthusiastic
response from them to Senator Stones
invitation to combine, Senator Stone,
of such a combination between demo-
Gratis and insurgents in the Senate be
over carefully.
The change in the chairmanships as
suggested by Mr.. Stone would certainly
bring about a radical change in the
Senate. Because of lack of votes
however. no such a combination could
be effective at this sessidA.
While Senator Stone has not yet ar
rived he and no one seems to know
definitely what his plans are, 1t is
supposed that his idea, among other
would be to alter the rules OF
the Senate so as to take the naming
of the committees ont of the hands
Of the steering committee and place
them in the power of the Senate it.
sel4 Those who have received these
letters are eagerly awaiting Senator
stones arrival In Washington so as
to talk over the matter with him and
get his views as to how far he wants
to go.