The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-23
Progressives May Appeal Their Fight to Whole
 Senate
BOTH HOUSES ARE
 TAKING A REST
If Dispute Among Republican Fac tions Is Put Up to Democratic Senators Result May Be
 Reaching

of Congress rested today. Yesterday 8 adjournment over Saturday offered to House members the first respite from daily sessions since the democrats com pleted their organization. The next business in the House is expected to be the farmers free list bill" This has been brought in to offset some of the dissatisfaction felt because of the Canadian reciprocity putting on them, as some believe. most of the burdens of free trade relations with Canada.
 The democrats of the Senate may be called upon to arbitrate the differences between the republican regulars and progressives over the question of com mittee assignments.
 This unprecedented situation was pre- dicted freely tonight following .ad journment of meeting of the repub- lican members of the committee on committees at which demands of the progressives for right to dictate one fourth of republican members on all committees was again turned down. The ''progressives" today did not ask for a formal recognition of their wing of the party, but this made no differ ence in the vote of seven to four by which their original demands were re- jected yesterday
 It~was said the progressives will ap- peal to the Senate and in this way democrats will be called in to settle the difficulty.
 Result May Be Important
 =; fa disposed to shirlk the responsibility of the situation. If the dispute gets into the hands of democratic senators it is predicted the result may be far more consequential than the mere straight ening out of the committee tangles. The snarl in the Senate was such that no one could forecast the relative results of the session.
 Just what action the democrats would take as arbitrators in the com mittee dispute is speculative. num- Der of them are known to sympathize strongly with the insurgents while many others unquestionably would vote to sustain party regularity. AS a re- suit the situation tonight seems almost hopelessly complicated.
 At today's meeting resolution adopted yesterday, which provided for the organization of the committees in alphab etical order was reconsidered and Senator Gallinger as chairman of the committee was instructed to bring in a tentative list of assignments. But this action was not taken without strenuous opposition from the progres- sives who still insisted upon their right to designate their representatives on all the committees.
 When they were voted down the pro- gressves retired from the committee room. They do not relish the prospect of having MT. Gallinger name the progress sive members of the committee, and while they make no declaration to this effect 1t is plain that their purpose Is to oppose the chairman's action whenever it fails to meet their requirements in one-fourth of the republican committee assignments.
 Would Go to Senate
 If such conflict should ensue, it is expected the seven regular members of the committee would stand together in supporting the Gallinger selections The defeat of amendments offered by the pro- grossives would follow, and in that event it is expected the progressves, refusing to accept the situation, would take the case to the Senate. An intermediate step would be considered by the republican caucus, but as the regulars outnumber the progressives three to one the com mittee regulars would be sustained there and the progressives would fail to find relief.
 The progressives contend that If the democrats are inclined toward reform they would be compelled to support their slate; but the regular republicans believe the conservative democrats would stand with them in this as in other matters.
 The principal contention is over the as- signments 10 the committees on appropria- tions, finance, postoffices and post roads, judiciary and foreign relations. The pro- gressives contend they were promised two member sof the finance committee in advance of the organization of the Gal finger committee, and they are especially anxious to have this pledge carried out. On the other hand the regulars say to concede this request would be to give the progressives and the democrats control of this important committee, and this they do ont want to do on the eve of tariff revision The progressives are anxious to influence the committee on appropriations as means to controlling the committee on expenditures. They want larger rep resentation on the postoffice committee as a check on executive appointments, and they desire to aid in shaping the settle- ment of the Mexican embroglio through the committee on foreign relations. They also hope to insure another favorable re- port from the committee on the Judiciary on the resolution providing for the eiec- ton of senators by the direct vote of the people, and are therefore desirous of in- fluential representation on that commit lee.
 GRANT FRANCHISE