Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-03-30
Question New Generally De-
bated in Washington.
CAUCUSES WITHIN A WEEK
Democrats Outnumber Regular Re-
pubIicans and Insurgent RepubIi-
cans Hold Balance of Power
on All Questions.

Washington, March 20. = Who will
succeed Senator Aldrich as the Re-
publican leader of the senate and
Whom will the Democrats put to the
'front.' now that they have made such
large gains in the membership of that
body that they are talking Of control
ling it within the next two years?
These are questions frequently heard
in Washington and will be determined
within the next week at caucus to be
held by senators of the two parties.
Dlsregarding the senate vacancies
from New York, Iowa and Colorado,
where the legislatures are d~eadlccked,
the Democrats will outnumber the reg
ular Republicans in the next senate
with thirteen insurgent Republicans
exercising the balance of power on all
questions of legislation. The number
of Democratic senators will be forty,
while the regular Republicans will be
able to muster only a total of thirty
six votes. When the three vacancies
in the senate are filled there will be
torty-tWo Democrats and fourteen in
%surgents in the senate.
The caucus of Republican senators
will not be called to meet until after
April 4 when the question of leader
ship will be reflected in the commit
tee on committees that is to be chosen.
This committee, which will make all
assignments. will be named by the
chairman of the caucus who, following
a precedent of long standing in the
senate, will be the Republican senator
with the longest service to his credit.
Senator Frye of Maine is the dean,
but by reason of impaired health, he
will step aside. Senator Cullom of H.
linois. who is next in line, may decline
the honor for a similar reason and in
that event Senator Gallinger of New
Hampshire will be the caucus chair
a
The committee on committees will
practically reorganize the senate ma
chinery. There is some talk of in
creasing the membership from nine to
eleven. 1t is admitted that the insur-
gents who had two of their number,
Borah and Dixon on the old commit
tee, will receive increased representa-
ton. The committee on committees
as constituted in the last senate was
composed of Senators Aldrich, Kean,
McCumber, Crane, Flint, Sutherland,
Curtis, Borah and Dixon. Three men,
bers of the old committee, Messrs
Aldrich, Kean and Flint, are no longer
assumed that all the old members of
the committee will be reappoirted.
Personnel will rest largely with the
chairman of the caucus.
The Democrats expect to have their
caucus a day or two before congress
%convenes in extra session. There are
four Democrats prominently spoken of
for the minority leadership. They are
Senator Bacon Of Georgia who, with
Senator Martin of Virginia, is the old
est Democrat in point of service in the
senate; Senator Shively of Indiana,
the vice chairman of the caucus; Sen
ator Stone of Missouri, who took the
lead among senate Democrats in the
last days of the recent session in the
fight against the tariff board bill, and
Senator John Sharp Williams of Mis-
sissippi, who for a number of years
was the minority leader of the house.