The Washington herald., 1918-11-22

much TO head the Finance Commit
tee.
If he does so he will override the
desires of Senator Penrose, who
wants the place himself, and the
Republican leaders deal out the COM
mittee chairmanships on the basis
! of seniority.
The Wisconsin Senator probably
will receive little aid and comfort.
There appear to be three on four
| members ready to side in with him,
but they will be very cautious and
VIII in no probability carry 1t to
the extent of tieing up with the
| Democrats in order to be of service
to Senator La Toilette.
After peace comes will we abolish
the positions Of Secretary OF War
and Secretary of the Navy and do
away with the functions and re-
sources of each?
There are some well-meaning peo-
pie of the countrywide. perhaps,
gained their Impressions from Will
liam Chautauqua Bryan-who be-
lieve that this will follow 'as Cay
! the night" 1t is amazing to see the
come in the past month expressing
| this sentiment
The future. OF course, must deter
mine what lengths we will go to in
the direction of maintaining an army
and navy. But no one who has
/ thought for Americas welfare will
contend that we should do. away
with our army and navy.
The plan of peace reconstruction
has not been announced the ad
ministration; but If, when it is, 1t
should provide for any such step,
the plans will go awry. For the Re
publican national platform of 1915,
| the guide to that party in its soon
to-be congressional control. very
ably refuses to permit such a thought
to govern administrators or lawmak-
ers who have been elected upon it.
The National Association of Pub
lie Utility Commissioners which met
here last week means to wage an
active warfare against govern
ment ownership and against the
retention of too many powers Of
rate making, and service-regulatiOn
by the national government.
Some supplying instances were
gross inefiiciency and Stiffness of
government operation. For in
stance. car thinks" il was said by
one commissioner, are now drawing
from s3O5 to $3l5 a month for their
work. Station agents who must
have both education and expert
enCe, and who are charged with
heavy responsibility. get half that
much. And il is almost universally
true that laborers draw more for
work than their foremen do-and
the fOremen have taken years to
work up to their positions and in
addition have responsibility at
tached to them which the men un-
der them do not have.
Congress is going into this with
some vigOr. A number OF prom-
nent members are insistent that the
anti administration" results of the
last election can be laid to the Rail
road Administration. and they are
ready to do the peoples bidding
and change matters considerably.
Who for president pro tenn of the
Senate after March 4?
Some of the Republican leaders
wish they could put their hands on
the man who would fill the bill from
political angle.
The party planners are just now
pondering over a plan to give the
place to some OF the party progress
sives in order to plaCate that wing
Of the party and make it more
amenable to reason. partisan rea-
soning, when the time comes for or
ganization.
Senator Hiram johnson would be
an ideal incumbent Of the place, so
some OF the leaders think. They
say while he has not been in the
Senate quite two years his juvenil-
ity. in this respect. could readily be
made to bow to the political exig-
encies of the hour
Democrats have not planned any
line of attack for the Congress be-
ginning next March. But Just the
same it will be quite natural if they
look gleefully at anything that may
come up in the other party to cause
disaffeCtion and a lack of harmony
The start made by Mr.. Norris will
have abundant Democratic support.
but it was not inspired by Demo-
Gratis. Mr. Norris himself. very
positive but very independent char
acter. thought his suggested amend
ment Nout himself and he means to
push it. so we are told. without re-
gard to partisanship.
This, incidentally. will please Vic
tor Rosewater. a staIwart who was
led to support Mr.. Norris in the Iate
campaign in Nebraska because he
understood Mr.. Norris had promised
to be "a good party boy if the
party only helped re-eIect him this
fall.
Would you believe it?
On the hill some of the chess de-
vOtees are actually talking about
the necessity and desirability Of
DemocratiZing that game
Kings are falling right and left.
they say. SO why not wipe royalty
out of this very ancient and very
honorable game.
Kings, they say. should be presi-
dents.
Queens should be changed to first
ladies'" of the land. Of course.
Castles should be suppIanted by
Liberty huts, and knights byI
"doughboys" or that equivalent in