Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-03-09
stone WILL RETAIN
PLACE ON COMMITTEE
Senatorial Courtesy" FOrbids
Other Senator's Admins
tering Rebuke


New York. March 9.-Beeause of the
time honored senatorial courtesy, ''
the New York World declared today
Senator Stone probably will be retain.
ed as chairman of the foreign relations
committee.
The World made this statement fol
lowing a poll of the senate by its
Washington correspondent, in which il
was found that only three senators
would express themselves in favor of
Stones removal, while thirteen said
they were opposed to it and sixty
\ eight refused to commit themselves.
| Eighty four senators were interrogat-
ed. Eleven could not be found and one
(Senator S.one) was not questioned.
The thirteen senators who expressed
/ themselves in favor of retaining Stone
are: Chamberlain, Gore, Kirby, Lewis,
Myer, Newlands, Overman, Reed,
Thomas and Vardaman democrats;
Penrose, Smoot and Townsend, repub-
licans.
The three who declared they wanted
him ousted are Paul o. Husting of Wis
cOnsin and j. H. Woleott of Alabama,
democrats, and Thomas Sterling of
North Dakota, republican.
What the World Says
| Commenting on Stones position the
World said editorially:
GA senate which by nearly unani-
nous vote of democrats and republi-
cans has Just rid itself forever of
shaekling rules imposed by a genera
tion long dead should be able to bring
enough moral pressure upon Mr.. Stone
to compel his retirement The two posi-
tions are closely related for the rules
and the chairmanship are survivals in
this country of system of heredity
which the authors of American freedom
sought diligently to extirpate. "
The Times said:
" Admitting for the sake of argu-
ment that Mr.. Stone may be a great
statesman, the greatest in American
history even; admitting that his tai
ents are so various and so dazzling that
the government could not get along
without him, it would still remain true
| that those talents should be employed
in some other place than that partic-
ular Craftsmanship and that that is one
| place which he cannot possibly occu-
ipy with success and honor. He cannot
| be the administration mouthplece,
for he typities, more than any other
senator, even Lafollette himself, the
opposition to the very foreign policy
of which his position requires him to
be the spokesman
A Senator's Statement
i You may say definitely" Lewis
said, "that Mr.. Stone will again head
the committee"
Since criticism of Stones 'face
about'' in refusing to support Presi-
dent Wilson s armed neutrality plan
has come largely from administration
sources, the unequivocal statement of
Lewis, administration spokesman in
the senate, was taken to indicate an
agreement had been reached to retain
! the present chairman.
| cit is upto Senator Stone S CON
stituency," Lewis said, "to rebuke
him, if he is to be rebuked
1T would be unethieal for sena-
tors to upbraid another senator for
depressing his honest conviction. Mem
bers of the senate represent state SOW
lerignty. One state may not question
the stand of another
Opposition 10 Stones retention as
the head of the foreign relations com
mittee, it is known, will be voiced in
committee by Senators James of Ken
tucky and Hollis of New Hampshire. 1t
is not believed, however, they will car
ry the fight to the senate floor.
Deposition of Stone, it is felt, might
cause what would become disastrous
split in democratic ranks. In view Of
the dwindlinq democratic majority, ad-
ministration leaders do not wish to do
anything which would disrupt present
party harmony.