The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-13
DEMOCRATS EXPECT TOCONTROL SENATE Already Starting Squabble
 Over Leadership SIMMONS IS OPPOSED Mantle of Leadership Rests Upon Man Chosen Chairman of Committee
 on Finance-Only Five More
 Members Are Needed
Is OPPOSED

confronting that body at the opening or the next Congress and the beginning of the new administration March 1, 1913.
 Because of the belief that their pros- poets are bright in this respect they have already started preliminary squab- hle over leadership. Senate leadership is thing to be coveted. Senator Nelson N. Aldrich made it so during the long term that he occupied the post. The mantle of leadership rests upon the man who is selected as the chairman of the committee on finance, the most powerful committee body in tho upper house, not only because it deals with matters per taning to financial legislation, but also because it handles all tariff measures. and occupies about the same position In the Senate that the committee on ways and means does in the House.
 Seniority of service also counts for great deal in the Senate, and 1t has long been the custom when chairmanship Is vacated, and the same party continues | in power, to make the next ranking mem Der his successor. If the other party comes into control the member who was the ranking minority member then be- comes the chairman of the comml ttee. This rule has prevailed with respect to all committees except where 1t has been necessary to make changes in order that one man should not become the head of two important committees.
 The question which promises lively fight as well as a breaking of time hon. ored precedent in the event of democratic control arises over the prospective chair manship of the committee on finance. There are now in the Senate 10 republ- cans and i2 democrats, one vacancy ex- isting from Colorado. The admission or New Mexico and Arizona will not affect the relative strength of the two parties in the Senate as the two incoming mem bers from New Mexico vii be republicans and the two from Arizona will be demo- crats. Consequently all the democrats need Is five additional members to give them actual control of the Senate. That number with two from Arizona would give them 49 members, while the loss of four republicans and the gain of two from New Mexico would give them 47 members.
 The democrats hope to- gain these five as follows: From Colorado two, one to fill the existing vacancy and one to succeed Senator Guggenheim, republican; one from Montana to succeed Senator Dixon, republican, and one from Nebras-
  now stands the indications are that the democrats have the best of 1t In these states and are warranted, at least, in claiming a gain of four senator's The firth will be much harder to get they admit. They expect a gain how ever, in New Jersey If not there, they look with hopes of success to IInnois, where the republican factions are SO bitterly assailing each other that 1t is possible that Senator Cullom, after serv- ing 20 years in the Senate, may be re- tired. The state is strongly republican, however. and it is a long chance. But the democrats figure that if there is landslide their way it will carry along two or three state legislatures which will elect deomcratic senators in the place of republicans.
 To realize their hopes, they must hold all that they now have As all of the democratic senators, whose terms expire next year, come from strongly democratic states-chiefly southern states-they will have little trouble in holding their own, with the possible exception of West Viz gina and Maine. Both senators from both these states are now democrats, and the term of one in each expires in March. 1913. The democrats will fight 10 retain them, but they constitute their weak points.
 Assuming, however, that they will have a majority in the Senate they have al- ready begun to make war on one Of their number, Senator Simmons, who would be in line for chairmanshp of the commit tee on finance which carries with it the leadership of the Senate. If Senator Bailey were to remain in the Senate he would be the one to whom the title of leader ship would fall by reason of the fact that he is the ranking minority member Of the finance committee. But he will retire f.x ~, nd hA man Immediately below him is Senator Simmons of North Carolina.
 Simmons is looked upon by the progress siye democrats as pronounced reaction, ary. He has been a follower of Bailey, and it Is charged that he is tinctured with protection, and has frequently voted with Aldrieh and the other protectionsts for duties which according to the orthodox tariff for revenue democrats, are unwar- ranted.
 At any rate, the progressves will rot have him for leader, and they have even this early begun laying their plans to prevent him from gaining that post. The progressives among the democrats are now in the majority, and they purpose depriving Simmons of the honor which would naturally fall to him, even if they do have to smash precedent and sena- torial custom to do if.
 They are willing to accept Senator Stone of Missouri who Is immediately below Simmons. on the committed. or even John Sharp Williams, who is way down on the list, but Simmons they declare shall never be the Senate leader. Under a demo- cratic administration they declare the tariff would be the prominent question before Congress, and they are unwilling that the fixing of the rates and the moulding of the policy of the Senate should be in the hands of man whom they characterize a reactionary Hence there is in prospect a lively fight at the very inception of democratic control of the Senate. if it follows the next election
 Senator Simmons Is himself a candidate for reelection in North Carolina, and Is said to be having hard fight to be re- turned. If another democrat Is chosen in his stead the fight in the Senate will be obviated, for the honor would then fall naturally to Senator Stone, but if Sen ator simmons is returned, as he hopes to be, the progressives declare that with the majority which they have in the Senate caucus he will never be permitted to assume the guidance of his party in that body.
 New Light on Patrick Henry From the Docket.
 After the capttIre n Richmond q pariy