Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-06
NEW MEN TO RULE
THE us. SENATE
Democrats, After Many Years
of Waiting, at Last to Have
Their Chance.
SENATORS FROM SOUTH
GET PICK OF PLACES
Majority of Important Chairman
ships Go to Them-Lawyers, OF
Course, Make Strong Showing.

committees OF tie Senate
The change in the organization OF the
Senate and the transfer of the power 10
the hands of the democrats has not oeefi
accomplished without tearing up OF many
roots. Also it took the democratic sena-
tors many long days TO settle among
themselves who should have this i'm
portant chairmanslip and who should
have that The result of the reorganiza-
ton has been compromise. as Is so often
the case on Capito! Hill The progressive
forces and tie so-called conservative
forces "went TO the mat in the demo-
cratic caucus, o. conference. as it is
called at the Senate end of the Capitol.
The progress.ves succeeded in placing
their candidate Senator john W Kern
of Indiana. at the head of the ca ucus and
tie steering committee" He is the
democratic leader of the Senate. just as
the chairman OF the ways and means
committee is the democratic leader o.
the House. They also succeeded IN oDta u-
ing for progressive senator's man! I'M
portant chairnanships. and i'll arranging
the membership Of the important commit
tees SO that, it Is said. tie progressives
hold the balance OF power. ana inns rs
favorable TO legislation which is desired
by the present administration
Hold Many Strategic Points.
The so-called conservatives. however.
are to be found in many strategic posi-
tons. They head many of the powerful
committees and their influence upon all
legislation will be marked. it is believed.
Seniority has always played an i'm
portant part in the selection OF the
chairmen of Senate committees ana IN
the assignment Of places on these COM
mittees. And this rule has been Ioi-
lowed in the organization of the pres
ent Senate. The south. therefore. a1te6
many years of waiting, has come into
its own. The southern states have been
democratic for generations, their sena-
tors have been democrats, and, tnere-
fore. they have occupied the ranking
positions on the committees Out OF
fyenty-four of the major committees
of the Senate. thirteen have as CHAIR
men senator's from the southern states;
eight have chairmen from the western
states and only three have chairmen
from northern states.
\ glance at the committee list shows
southern senators at the head of such
committees as finance, appropriations.
foreign relations. judiciary. post office
and post roads. military affairs. naval
affairs. public buildings and grounds
and rules 1t seems. at first glance, as
though there was nothing. OF the hrst
order left Tor the other sections of the
country. But the west has been as
signed 10 lead the committees on inter
state commerce.. commerce. banking
and currency. agriculture and forestry,
manufactures, the Philippines and In
dian affairs.
Chairmanships for North.
The three important committees which
have been assigned to chairmen who
hail from the north are interoceanic
canals, over which Senator O'Gorman
OF New York presides; privileges and
elections, Senator Kern of Indiana, and
pensions. Senator Shively of Indiana.
1t has been a tradition and a fact for
many years that the large majority Of
the members of the Senate and House
is drawn from the ranks of the legal
fraternity. With very few exceptions
this is true of the present Senate and
of the chairmen Of the big committees.
Senator Purnifold Mel. Simmons of
North Carolina, chairman Of the finance
committee, practiced law before he en-
tered the Senate and other chairmen
VINO have had a legal training are
Senators Martin. Virginia, appropria-
tons; Bacon, Georgia, foreign rela-
overlnan. North Carolina. rules; oGor,
man, New York. interoceanic canals;
Swanson. Virginia. public buildings and
grounds; Johnston. Alabama, military
affairs: Clarke. Arkansas, commerce;
Hoke Smith, Georgia, education and la
Dor; Kern: Indiana. privileges and
elections; Newlands. Nevada, interstate
commerce. and many others.
Among the Senate committee chairmen
who lay no claim to having been lawyers
are Senator Tillman, South Carolina,
chairman OF the naval affairs committee,
and Senator Bankhead, Alabama, chair
man OF the post office and post roads
committee. who set themselves down as
farmers. Senator Shively OF Indiana is
another who has not practiced law. He
had been engaged in newspaper work and
In business before he entered politics and
Senators Bacon, Georgia: Martin Vir.
ginia, and Tillman of South Carolina
have each served eighteen years in the
senate, longer time than any of the
other democrats, and a record exceeded
only by three or four republicans, in
Guiding senators Lodge, Massachusetts,:
YerAns, California and Gallinger, New
hampshire, who have been In the Senate
for twenty years. Then, in point of
service among the democrats come Sem
ators Simmons OF North Carolina twelve
Sears' Newiands OF Nevada, Overman Of
North Carolina and Stone of Missouri. ten
years.
Martin Long Prominent.
Senator Martin. who heads the commit
tee on appropria tons. has played an i'm
portant part in the Senate for a long
time. During the last Congress he was
the democratic leader. He is considered
q conservative. and he gave way to Sen
~'oi AAcih as uStuOCfdCc leader In the
new Congress. But he fell heir to the
great appropriations committee, with its
power over the billion dollar annual
budget OF the country. Though Senator
Martin has been called at times a re-
dictionary, he Is abreast Of the times and
Is at one with the present progressive
administration on many important is
sues. For instance, Senator Martin heart
lily approves OF the policy adopted by the
administration with regard to the Chinese
loan and dollar diplomacy" The GEN.
ator is VirSinian in birth and education.
when he was cadet at the Virginia Mill
tary institute he served with the battal-
ION or cadets i'll the Confederate army
Down near Charlottesville he has hand
some country home, where he and his
charming wife dispense southern hospi-
tally.
No man in the Senate will be more
IN the public eye during the coming spe-
cial session than Senator Simmons of
North Carolina. chairman of the finance
committee. which will handle the tariff
measures. 1t VIII be remembered that
Senator Simmons during the last Con-
gress by constant and untiring efforts
brought about the passage of the demo-
cratic tarin bills, amended to some ex-
tent to meet the wishes Of the repub-
hcan progresSives- When matters an
paared to have reached an impasse Mr..
Simmons adroitly brought about the
"unhofy alliance" as the republican reg
ulars dubbed 1T. by which the tariff bills
were put through. 1t is expected that
he will take the lead in bringing about
harmony among the 0en10crafa oyar the