The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-01-24
VICE PRESIDENT
MARSHALL'S VOTE
DECIDE CONTROL
PRESIDING OFFICER MAY ,sE
CALLED ON TO BREAK TIE
IN SENATE.
REPUBLICANS MAKE THREATS
west Virginia and Illinois Vital to
the Republicans and II DeadIocks
Continue Democrats Have Wild.
Margin.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2l.-Uples
the legislative deadlock in Illinois
and West Virginia are broken by tn,
electlon OF three Republicans befor,
March the next Senate will be eve,
: more decisively controlled by tn,
democrats than has been predicted
at any time since the Novenl bel
election
VI course, the Tennessee deadlock
is matter of concern inWashineton
but 1t is not necessary for that State
TO elect Democrat to give the Tart,
voting control of the new Senate
VI course the Tennessee deadlock
Is matter of concern in WASHING
ton' out 1t is not necessary for the
state to elect a democrat to give the
party voting control of the new sen
ate.
Inc greatest interest now centers
IN Illinois and West Virginia, where
three senatorial seats are involved,
and where all efforts to break the
deadlocks have been futile. The Hi.
nois legislature is tryig to elect sue
cessors to William Lorimer and Shell
by M. Cullom the West Virgi,,jans
are trying TO name a successor to
, Clarence S. Watson.
When the November election was
over and each of the leading parties
took stock the democratic control of
the senate seemed assured by a mar.
gin or two votes from the floor. With
the vice president that margin was
increased to three, though the vice
president has no voice in the senate
except in case of a tie.
The death of Senator Rayner of Ma
ryland, and the appointment of VIM
b. jackson, republican, to succeed
him, reduced the democratic MAORI
ty to one vote from the floor. This
one vote was to have been supplied
from tennessee, where the leg,sla. |
ture is overwhelmingly democratic. |
but where the party is split to pieces
over old feuds.
But without the Rayner vote or
that from Tennessee the Democrats
may organize the new senate Nv
legislative majority Of one, that one
vote being cast by Vice President
Marshall. That party already has
safely in its column fortye eight sena-
tors without Tennessee, and forty
nine is the constitutional majority.
Moreover if Illinois and West Virgin.
la remain in a state of political block.
ade, that is if they fail to elect re-
publicans, the democratic working
majority will be increased by lust
.hres votes.
With the election Of Burleigh in
Maine and republican in New
hampshire, the combined republican
Ind progressive strength in the SEN
tie is now only forty-four votes. I,
eaving out Illinois, West Virginia 4.
md Tennessee, the next senate would
tand forty-eight democrats and forty
our republicans and insurgents. L
The democrats have, however, q r
air chance to gain the senator inTen- a
essee and one of the two in Illinois. +
his would give them fifty votes as
galnst forty-ive. Should West Vir-
inia later fall into line and send a
epublican successor to Watson the
ote would stand fifty to forty-s.x.
The calculations have a special sig
lflcance just now when the present
publican majority in the senate is v
ally threatening reprisals in the
latter of confirming Tafts appoint
ents. They have warned the DEM
,rats that they too can operate fill
listers after March 4, if the present in
latory tactics of the minority result b
defeating the thousand or more st
'litical combinations now pendilg. Il
These threats have not greatly A.
Iarmed the democrats. With a vot- eli
6 majority after March they can m
rec the confirmation of any Wilson bi
whether Republicans
re it or not. All maintain a ouor- A,
in executive sessions. The situa- eli;
IN is different at this time. ReDub- ii,
ans cannot provide a quorum from co
cir own ranks. They. must have Sc
Senators present to do sic
siness at all, and any time the an
nority Senators. walk out Of the pl.
amber in body the session ends. all
is is true for the reason that there ed
not enough Republican Senator's DR.,
washington and enough cannot 90,