New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-04
, sader Wins Caucus After
Ritter Fight by Vote
of % to %.
STONE AND REED
CLASH WITH GORE
,,..oca,es of Cloture and Ship
pnrcbase Fear Party's Action
Has Killed Measures.

Wellington, Dec. 3.-Ridiculing ell
80. Of senators Stone and Reed to
to,,s a pledge from Senator James r.
r,..ts that he would not use his posi-
49,. % interfere with the passage OF
,bs ship pur ,hase bill, friends of Clarke
to,csd a vote in the caucus of the SEN
=. Democrats late to-day, on which
a.. Clarke was the victor, 20 to %. AS
,.,r,, Of this. Senator Clarke will be
-.x,scted president pro TEN Of the SEN
,,s On Monday, the opening day. AFTER
-. caucus. several Democrats who had
,ouobt Clarke expressed the opinion
Ao, cloture was dead, and that the
.bip purchase bill was rstdy for burial
when the vote had shown that Clarke
wss inyincible, since If every absent
Ssnstor had bee present and had voted
ior Senator Pomerens the vote still
would have been tie, desperate efforts
we're made 70 restore harmony. Com
ments Of opponents of Senator Clarke
after the caucus, however, showed that
these attempts had been futile, al
though the vote was made unanimous
On motion of the defeated candidate.
Efforts Of Clarke's opp,nc is to force
a promise from him that. if elected, he
would not interfere with administra-
ton measures, drew forth the scorn of
Mr.. Gore, the blind Senator from Okla
homa. Mr.. Gore demanded promises
from Senator's Stone and Reed. who
asked pledges from Mr.. Clarke, that
before they voted to confirm any ap-
pointmen. by the President they should
inquire what the candidate proposed
to do after taking Office, and see to 1t
that he would agree to do only the
things that suited them. He urged,
ironically, that in the future Federal
Judge, before being confirmed by the
Senate should be forced TO outline their
decisions on any questions which might
interest the Senators, so I. I II these
we're not satisfactory the appointments
Of these judges could be rejected.
Ship Bill Called Socialism"
After his election, Senator Clarke
made a short speech in which he said
that if he should find himself at vari-
ance with his party on any measure on
which he thought the caucus had a
right 10 raise the party standard, he
would give back TO the caucus the posi-
ton il had voted to give him. This
rather thin promise, virtually that he
himself be the judge whether a mea-
sure was entitled TO the party label
or not. was of little comfort to his op-
ponents.
Senator Newlands, who has been ad-
vocating government purchase of ships
for use as naval suXiliaries and for
commerce under the leasing system
since years before the administration
ship purchase bill was heard of, threw
a bombshell into the Democratic camp
by frankly calling il state socialism.
Mr.. Newlands opposed strongly the de-
feat OF Senator Clarke for his opposi-
ton 10 the ship purchase bill, saying
that a man had a right TO his own
convictions on a question so foreign
10 normal Democratic doctrine.
The position of Mr. Newlands was
that the government operation of ships
was an advanced step in state social
Ism to which the Democratic party had
never committed itself; that, on the
contrary, the party had always stood
for a sturdy individualism with equal
opportunity 70 all. He said that while
many Democrats, himself included, had
fagored this and other measures en-
listing the activities Of the government
In some things hitherto conceded 10 be
long 20 private enterprise, the national
party had never yet declared itself re-
sarding government ownership and
operation. He held that no Democrat
should be penalized who held fast TO
he ancient party traditions, and that
The defeat Of Mr.. Clarke would be re-
garded as punishment for the exercise
n his independent judgment as Sen
stor on a matter not within the domain
Of party faith. and for that reason he
vas unwilling 20 vote against him.
Vote for Each Other.
The vote was really p 20 %, instead
Of % 20 %, since Senator Pomerene
voted for his opponent, who recipro-
Gated.
Senators who voted for Clarke were
Nessrs. Bankhead, Beckham, Broussard,
Bryan. Chamberlain. Gore. Hardwick,
Hitchcock. HU><es. James, Johnson (of
NGinel. Lane. Newlands. O'Gorman,