The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-31
The REGULARS ARE
UNABLE TO RETALIATE
G. q. p. SENATOR'S CANNOT HOLD
Up WILSON APPOINTMENTS.
Present Democratic Minority in Senate
Seems Safe in Holding Up TAFT .
Appointments.


ate hold up until this administrator
is ended, almost all of the civil noml-
nations made by President TAFT Slnce
the beg: ming Of tha present 1t:a hnai
session of the ed congress, will ths
Republican senators be able to retail
late with equal force by blocking the
nominations of President Wilson!
They claim that they will.
This question has the probiem-sol'-
ers hard at work. There is co .stant
buzz of arguments on the subject
among those who delight in watching
the political game as it Is played at
the capitol and the White House. Re
publican patronage experts are saying
for the benefit of the newspaper men
who seek their confidence that the
hold-up policy apparently adopted Oy
the Democrats with regard to MI
Taft's late appointments is sure 10 De
like the chickens that come home to
roost or the cat that persistently re-
turns to the dwelling where it is not
desired.
However. it is inconceivable that the
Democratic senators, most OF whom
are wise in politics from long expert
-enSe, would block so many of these
8elevanth-hour Taft nominations If it
" were so easv for the Republicans to
retaliata when they change places
with the Democrats as the senate min
ority. Why is it that the Democratic
senators are not abasned by the seem
ingly clear argument that the RepuD-
lican minority will be in just as good
q position to tie the patronage up al
ter March as the Democratic minor
ity is able to tie it up until March 4?
Insurgent Republicans the Answer.
The answer is found in the attitude
of the insurgent Republicans. who
now hold the be' ce of party power
in the senate an, We held it for the
past two years. me Of these sena-
tors have even gone so far as to waive
all claim to being Republicans. 9th
ers like Senator Cumlnins, Of Iowa,
still assert that they are members OF
that party, although they supported
Roosevelt for president at the last
election.
Because of this split in the Repub-
lican ranks the situation in the SEN
ate at the close of the Taft admins
tration IS not by any means an exact
opposite of what the situation will BE
at the beginning of the Wilson admin
istration. Mr.. Taft has not the united
support of a majority in the senate
in matters of patronage. Mr. Wilson
will have the united support OF ma
iority unless some Of the Democrats
bolt their party caucus. Even In the
latter event, which, if it comes at all
is likely to be postponed until some
time after the new administration
opens. there is good possibility that
enough Republican insurgents VIII
side with President Wilson (rather
than go with the hated Republican
regulars) to Offset the loss.
But for the attitude Of the Repub-
lican insurgents, it would hardly have
- Been possible for tht Democratic MI
noritv in the senate to hold up the
Taft nominations in bulk at this ses-
sion; and even if it had been possible
it might not have been wise, because
the Democratic majority after March
will be so precarious that the illness
Of one or two Democrats might turn
the scale of control. In this connec-
ton the recent invitation of one OF the
insurgent Republican house leaders
CONGRESSMAN Kent, of California, to
discuss with the president-elect, al
Trenton, the question Of conservation
is most significant. Senator LaFol-
lette and those who follow his lsader-
ship are much more friendly to the
incoming than to the outgoing admin
istraton.
Capital Horizon Fall OF Suifragettes.
P7esident-elect Wilson's laudaOle
course in eliminating the affair known
as the inaugural ball, which was con-
Quoted to enable Washington TO gel
IFS money back" and the decision OF
the senate Democrats against the sus-
aestion of a great public recs ption II
the capitol building, will by no means
cause the inaugural period to be with
out spectacular interest in addition tc
the ceremony Of the oath-taking anc