New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-07
Upper House, with Democrats
in Control, Must Be Adjust
ed to the New Order.
NEW COMMITTEE HEADS
Simmons No Doubt Will Be
Finance Chairman and May
Complicate Majority Atti-
tude on Cotton Revision.
From The Tribune Bureau

Washington, Nov. 6.-However SUI
preme the confidence with which Presi-
dent-elect Wilson may ,look upon the
future and the administration OF the
affairs Of the government for the four
years which lie before him, beginning
next March. there is every indication
that, with the Democrats in power. the
way Of the party he represents will not
be strewn with roses in the Senate.
There will be a general exchange OF
chairmanships of committees in the
Senate, the House already having adj
justed its machinery to the Democratic
order. For the first time In sixteen
years Democratic Senator's. who have
played the role Of obstructionists and
have directed their energies almost en-
tirely TO placing obstacles in the path
OF the Republicans, will find them
selves at the head of things, with the
responsibility of the welfare Of the ma
ton resting heavily on their shoulders.
On March fourth next. the machinery
of the government in the upper house
will be in their hands. How they will
meet the responsibility is the question
of the future for the entire Democratic
party.
The craftsmanship of the great Com
mittee on Finance, with which rest the
tariff and the questions Of financial
reform for which the country is so in
sistently clamoring, will probably go to
Senator Simmons, Of North Carolina,
Senator Bailey, the senior Democratic
member of the committee. being out
of 1t.
Attitude on Cotton Unique.
Among the Democrats, Senator Sim
mons's attitude toward tariff revision
Is unique. In the first session Of the
present Congress, when the Democrats
Of the House, under the leadership Of
oscar Underwood, sent over bill re-
vising the cotton schedule, Senator
Simmons made IL clear that the at
tempt at revision was to be nothing
more than an attempt, and that the
industry, in which his state of North
Carolina is so much concerned, was not
to be disturbed.
Inc idlNlNdl SNOlS VI kllC lGN AolOli Va
the cotton schedule by the Democrats
OF the Senate already has been written.
Senator Overman. Senator Simmons
colleague, overloaded 1t with an amend
ment revising the chemical schedule
which extended to the point of alb
surdity. Senator Bacon purloined SEN
ator Cummins's steel revision amend
ment and attached it TO the cotton bill.
How Senator Simmons and his Demo
cratic colleagues will revise the cotton
schedule Is one Of the absorbing ques-
tions OF the Democratic future.
Senator Tillman. whose appellation
OF "Pitchfork Ben has fallen into dis
use, is the ranking Democratic MEM
Der of the Committee on Appropria-
| tions: Senator Culberson, of Texas.
comes next. II Senator Culberson
chooses the craftsmanship Of the Com
mittee on Judiciary, which is probable.
Senator Tillman will be chairman Of
the Appropriations Committeeman 10
| the Committee on Finance the most
| important Of the Senate, as 1t has SUI
pervision of most Of the supply bills.
Tilman eaffIed Engineers.
Senator Tilman is also the ranking
member of the Naval Committee. Dur
! ing the last session Of Congress he at
tempted in this capacity to insert In
the naval appropriation bill an item
authorizing the Navy Department to
build the largest, fastest and most
powerful battleship ahoat-a problem
which the engineers have not been able
to solve.
As chairman Of the Committee on
| Immigration, which will probably be
| called upon TO revise the immigration
| laws, Senator JEFF Davis, Of Arkansas,
will succeed Senator Lodge, of Massa-
| chusetts. During the last session Of
| Congress Senator Davis was rarely
seen in his seat in the Senate chamber.
The Panama Canal, which was be d.
gun under a Republican administra-
ton, will be completed under a Demo-
cratic one. Senator Thornton, Of Lou
| isiana, as the ranking Democratic
member, will be the chairman of the
| Committee on Interoceanic Canals
| Senator Thornton's experience in the
! national legislature has been compare
| lively brief During that time, how
! ever, he has distinguished himself par
| ticularly for the remark. made during
! the consideration Of the establishment
Of a chidren's bureau:
Law or no law. It's agents won't get
into my house."
Promotion for Bacon.
Senator Bacon will undoubtedly be-
come chairman OF the Committee on
Foreign Relations, upon which de-
ponds to a great extent the foreign
policy of the United States, the Sem
ate's approval being necessary to the
ratification Of treaties. Senator Bacon
led the fight on the general arbitration
treaties with Great Britain and France,
which were torn to pieces by the Sem
ate.
He also is the author of resolution
prohibiting the President from sending
the naval or military forces to another
country without the consent of con-
gress. IL Senator Bacon's resolution
had been adopted the President would
have been powerless to send marines
to Nicaragua to protect American life
and property and to prevent the mas