The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1912-11-29
SOUTH'S DEMOCRACY
HAS ITS DAY
PLACES OF POWER HERS IN
NEXT SESSION OF CONGRESS
Craftsmanship of Committee will be
Held by Dixie Democrats and I'm
swerving Loyalty to Party Now
Bears Fruit in Both Houses of Con-
gress-Senate to be Reorganized-
Tillman's Choice of Chairmanships.
Other Places to be Filled.
*. F. Murray in News and Courier)

TX. F. Murray in News and Courier)
Washington, November 24.-Un-
swerving loyalty to the Democratic
party through long series of de-
feats is telling for the Southern
States in the organization of Congress
in the victorious days which have at
last arrived.
While the South will not have pre-
ponderance of the Democratic men,
bership in the House of Representa-
tives elected this month, the MAORI
ty of the committee chairmanships
and of the ranking committee men,
berships will go to Southern Demo-
Gratis because Of their seniority in
service.
The same advantages has been en-
joyed under Republican Congresses by
the Representatives and Senator'S
from States which have been unwav-
eringly Republican. The fact is a
good demonstration of the wisdom of
keeping good Representative or Sen
ator in his position.
There will be some changes in COM
mittee chairmanships in the next
House of Representatives, but moth
ing like so many in proportion or in
significance as in the Senate. The
House was reorganized by the Demo-
Gratis at the beginning of the present
Congress, and the shifts to be made
with the advent of the next Congress
will be only such as are due to chang
es within the House Democracy itself.
The Senate in the 63rd Congress
will have the same task of complete
reorganization to perform that the
House had in the 62nd Congress-
reorganization brought about by re-
versal of party control. And in this
process the South will play the same
part that the "rock-ribbed" Republi-
can States have played in the Senate
while the Democrats have been in the
minority.
No Man Holds Two Chalrmanships.
Because of the fact that Democratic
Senators in number Of cases in the
present organization mold the ranking
minority positions on two or more
committees, curious error has been
made in some quarters in figuring or,
the organization of the Senate in the
63rd Congress. The nature of this er-
ror is seen in the following extract
from the editorial columns Of the
Manchester IN. H. Union:
"What glorious time Dixie is 60
ing to have in the next Congress-! In
the present Democratic House she
holds forty out of the fifty-six COM
mittee chairmanships. The South will
be even more dominant in the next
House. md now that the Senate also
seems coming into Democratic hands,
the South will, for the first time since
the days of James Buchanan, be in
practical control of the machinery Of
our Government. Following the rule
of seniority, 'Pitchfork' Tillman, of
South Carolina, who has just been re-
elected for another six years. term,
will be chairman of q half dozen COM
mittees, three or four of which arc
among the most important in that
body - appropriations, Interstate
commerce and naval affairs. Senator
Martin, of Virginia, the present rank
ing member of the committees on
commerce, District of Columbia and
claims, will presumably be promoted
to the craftsmanship of EACH"
The only thing the matter with
this dream is that no Senator, what
ever his seniority, is allowed to hold
more than one standing COMMITTEES
craftsmanship. Senator Tillman, as
nobody knows better than himself will
have to content himself with tho
Craftsmanship Of one of the great COM
mittees which the Manchester Union
has mentioned, and the same is true
of Senator Martin and all other SEN
ators apparently eligible to the lead
ership Of more than one committee.
1t will be readily realized that
unless there were such restraining
rule, three or four veterans in Sena-
torial tenure would be likely in. the
course Of time to absorb all the de-
sirable chairmanships. The aged SEN
ator Cullom, of Illinois, who rounds
out thirty years Of continuous ser
vice in the Senate next March, woulc
have acquired the craftsmanship of
every important committee in the up
per chamber of Congress if the claims
of seniority had been cumulative as
70 nhair,,n "a ahixn