The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-12
BABY SENATORS
COME To FRONT
SENATORIAL COURTESY rs A IRA
DITIoN THAT Is NO LONGER
IN EFFECT.
NO 'MiLLlONAiRE'S CLUB
NEW FACES IN "MOsT AUGUST DE-
Lucrative RoDY. ARE FRESH
FROM PEOPLE AND no
THINGS.
NO 'MiLLlONAIRE'S CLUB
BY Victor Elliott,

tuf 'h1 courtesy. tnAt traGitlOndt IN
tangible something which has served
10 ohstruct legislation, to prevent a
true expression by senator's Of their
opinions, and to forego the taking
of initiatory steps many times be-
cause of fear OF violating an unwrit-
ten code of ethics of the senate, has
been cast TO the winds by the new
senators during the first three months
of this extra session OF congress
IL former Senator Eugene Hale. in
his home in Ellsworth. Me, has been,
reading the newspapers, he doubtless
has knitted his brow over some of
the Independent and revolutionary
performances of the babes of the
senate" For who was it but Hale.
during his thirty years in the Fed
FRAT CoHgFtss. Who Was the recog-
uized and respected expounder of
senatorial courtesy? And now mere
youthS' like Senator Luke Lea. of
Tennessee, and William S. Kenyon.
Of Iowa, in their first utterances, set
at naught those time honored and
hoary tenets by which the lofty
dignity OF the senate has been up
held" regardless of consequences TO
important legislation.
Before the ''Ides Of NoVem Der.
1910" the senate frequently and
rather apply was referred - az the
"miiIionaires club" With the
ing OF Almost half Of the senate =
personnel, the moneyed Nom bers
were rapidly reduced in rank. in fact
the old title OF ''millionaire's club"
does not fit now. Unless Mclean, OF
Connecticut and Lippitt. Of Rhode
Island. are to be classed in the for
tune-favored category Of milipnaires,
no new eligihles for the old club
Were taken into the sixty second Sch
ate. A big majority of the new sen
ators are not menacled slaves OF
what is termed big business, al
though there were admitted few
known defenders of II. But on the
whole the present senate iS composed
Of men with merit. and men who were
not born with gold spoons in their
mouths. They are progressives, most
OF them, aud during their short ex-
perience have asserted their beliefs
without thought OF the shock they
administered to the gray-haired and
conventional salons, who believe that
new senator's should abide their time
before undertaking to say how the
government and the senate should
be conducted. These insurgents,
fTeEn from the ptopAt, nave tiaiA7
fused their hot, young blood into the
senate body. with the result that re-
iuvenated spirit is now manifested in
the upper chamber.
All of the privileges of veterans were
at once taken advantage of by aggres-
sive new senator's. Lea, the ix-foot
Tennessean, a newspaper publisher
and scarcely Of age. as senators are
rated was one OF the first toe exer-
else his full prerogatives as sena
tor Risking the chdings Of older
! heads for his audacity,. the baby or
the Senate" pitched in to the Lorimer
investigation debate early in this Sen
ate, and proceeded politely but pro-
nouncedly to deride that extreme re-
gard for senatorial courtesy which has
at times frustrated a strict adherance
to duty. Senator Lea is but thirty-two
years old. The minimum legal age foI
United States senator Is thirty years
A heated discussion was on over the
question whether the second I1orimer
investigation should be conducted by
the committee on privileges and cleo
lions, or by special committee to be
appointed by the Senate, several mem
bers OF the privileges ana elections
committee have been on that some
committeee when the first Lnrimer in
vestigation was conducted in the last
Congress. There was objection made
TO the privileges and election commit
tee again having charge of this work.
Older members quite generally, espec-
tally among Republicans, opposed q
yas5sosit iont &c, deprive 20. the 'standina
committee OF the task of prosecuting
a second investigation, mainly on the
ground that to elect special com
mittee would be II reflection on the
honor OF privileges and elections com
mitteemen. 1t would. in other words
be violation of the mucn mentioned
and harped upon Senatorial courtesy
Frankly and freely the tall young
Senator from Tennessee, scoffed at the
fetish OF Senatorial courtesy" II
had been misused. he said; and badly
needed legislation. had curtailed con-
I sesentious action
II will, OF course, he courteous Ia
my colleagues" said Lea, but ! dc
not propose to allow, without protest
this so-called Senatorial. courtesy to
interfere with the business of the
Senate"
Talk like this from Senator who
was considered an infant in point OF
years and public service amazed the
old-timers.
/ To add to the sting of Lea's pointed
words Senator Kenyon, of Iowa, who
Is not much older than is Lea, arose
in hts place ard fred q broadsidc into
the Senate's cherished practice. Ken
Won asserted his independence fully rs
frankly az did Lea.
And then the new but venerable
Senator Works of California. spurred
on the insurrection by making light
of such impediments to progress and
action as this selfsame senatorial
courtesy" In Set speeches, bristling
with biting wit, and showing much
study and thought. he too, eSeayed to
discuss deep constitutional and gov
ernmental problems. to the astonish-
ment Of the ancient members. ,s-,a.s
And there is Senator Hitchcock, of
Kansas, who without hesitation shat
tered unwritten rules of senatorial
procedure by actively participating in
the debate on the direct election of
senators bill and by proposing plans
for the second Lorimer investiga-
tion. His efforts were SO we'll direct
ed that his idea Of selecting the actual
Lorimer investigating committee
from new and old members OF the
committee On privileges and elections
prevailed.
Then there is pomertne, OF Ohio.
a name 10 conJure with after three
months on the senate roll More
fortunate than some others in gain
ing publicity for his plans. because
he was fishing for whales. Senator