The Washington times., 1913-02-26
DEMOCRATIC REVOLT
y AGAINST LEADERS
Progressives of Party Count
Upon 0usting Martin, and,
Maybe, Beating Simmons.
By JOHN SNURE.

If the plans of the progressive Demo-
Gratis are carried through, they will
bring about such a, reorganization of
the Senate after March that the con-
servative. Democrats VIII be shorn of
power and left helpless
The plan to make Senator Fern Of
Indiana the majority leader in the Sen
ate is only a part of the program. Not
only do the progressiyes intend TO oust
Senator Martin from the leadership. but
they intend to get the scalp of Senator
Simmons of North Carolina, and snatch
from him the coveted honor of chair
man of the Finance Committee.
Hitherto the talk about defeating
Senator Simmons for Craftsmanship of
the Finance Committee has been taken
more or less lightly. And the progress
sive Democratic leaders have said little
about it, except in private. They have
realized. that it would not be easy to
dethrone Simmons. and have not cared
TO bite off more than they could chew.
So they have confined their predictions
chiefly to saying they expected to sup
plant Senator Martin with Senator
Kern.
After Simmons Scalp.
Now, being fully convinced they have
Senator Martin beaten, and that Kern
In sure to be leader, they are going
step further, and making arrangements
to put some one other than Simmons at
the head of Finance.
Latest canvasses Of the situation
among the Senate Democrats indicate
that there is no reasonable doubt OF
the defeat of Senator Martin for the
leadership and craftsmanship of the cau-
Gus knowledge of this among the
Democratic Senators has weakened me
cause of Senator Simmons. The Old
Guard Democrats have been trying to
kssp together but they have had diff
Guilty doing 1t. =,
Senator Martin inclines to the plan OF
stripping the Finance Committee of the
powers of a banking and currency COM
mittee and leaving Ii to attend to tarlff
and internal revenue matters This
plan is opposed by Senator simmons
and II has caused some working at cross
purposes among the Old Guard leaders
The progressive Democratic Senator'S
believe they are now strong enough to
force through a program which will
make Kern leader, depose summons
from the Finance chairmanship. and
. strike At the seniority rule in the Senate
TO the extent of equalizing the distri-
button of committee places.
Oppose Small Group Rule. 81
This last part of the program will not
be carried to the extent of shutting Sen
ators, who have earned chairmanships
by long service and efficiency out OF
such chairmanships. The purpose is,
broadly. to see that each Senator has
one place on one committee each in the
first, second, third, and fourth GLASSES
into which the committees will be divid-
ed This viii make ii virtually impos-
SfhlA % small of the
Democratic side to dominate the i'm
portAnt committees.
It will not be possible under such an
arrangement for few men to rule the
days when 5Aldrich, Allison. Hale and
Platt. Of Connecticut constituted the
upper house of Congress.
The Significance Of this uprising of
the Senate progressive Democrats is
great. Its effects will reach in many
directions. For Kern to defeat Martin
as leader means a crushing blow at the
conservative Democratic machine in
Virginia, the machine of which Senator
Martin Is the head
Why They Want Kern.
Much more important, however. the
progressive Democrats are bent on
choosing Kern for leader because they
believe it will serve notice on the coun-.
try that II may expect legislation of an
advanced sort; that it may expect that
the promises of the Baltimore platform
will be carried out; that it may look
for large reductions in tariff, and other
radical legislation. They believe this is
what the country wants that the
choice Of Kern, along with the defeat
of Simmons, will be accented by the
country as evidence that the progressive
elements in the Democratic party are
earnestly going to try to dominate legis-
lation in the Senate.
Senator Simmons is a conservative on
tariff and with him at the head of the
Finance Committee sweeping tariff reyi-
sion would not be expected
Until about a month ago the hopes of
the progressive Democratic Senators to
control things seemed too optimistic.
Some Of the progressive Democrats got
Weakened. They were talking a har-