Evening star., 1918-11-24
FIGHT ON PENR0SE
TO Be |RONED OUT
G. o. P. Leaders Confident
Differences Will Not Endan-
ger Control of Senate.

Differences among republican sem
ators over the proposal that Senator
Penrose of Pennsylvania shall be
chairman of the finance committee
when the republicans take control of
the Senate after March 3 will be
ironed out, leaders at the Capitol pre-
dicted last night. If this be true,
then either Senator Penrose's op-
ponents for the craftsmanship must
yield or Senator Penfose must fore
go this craftsmanship and head the
naval affairs committee OF some
% Senator Borah Of idaho is the re-
publican who has kicked over the
traces in opposition to Senator Pen
rose as chairman of the finance COM
mittee. He claims to have the sup
port of other progressive republicans
The. argument against Penrose is
that to put him at the head of the
committee, which will, have charge OF
the tax levying legislation, will have
q bad effect in the middle west and
the west, where the progressive sem
timent is strong. This because Sem
garded as friend of the interests"
and an exponent of machine politics.
The republicans will have forty
nine and the democrats forty-seven
senators in the next Senate. A single
republican voting with the democrats
would make the vote tie, on the
Senate organization, with the demo-
cratic Vice President casting the de-
Gliding vote.
But there is serious doubt that any
republican senator. or group OF them,
when the showdown comes-aS it
must unless their. differences are
patched up in the republican caucus
inc 10
party and permit the democrats to
organize the Senate.
Knotty Questions May Arise.
Penrose or no Penrose, if the re-
publicans fail to organize the Senate.
when they will have a majority of
that body, the republicans out in the
states will begin to wonder why they
elected republicans If they show such
a lack of ability to handle themselves
and the Senate and permit the demo-
Gratis to dominate the committees and
control to a large extent the course
of legislation.
Also the republicans have been out
Of power for six years. They have con-
troll Of the Senate again within their
grasp. 1t will go hard to give up their
opportunity.
If the republicans do not settle their
differences in caucus and ctCne into the
Senate with a united front it appears
that the insurgents will have small
Penrose out of the finance chairman
ship.
The republican majority will submit
its committee slate which is voted on
as a whole. If past procedure is fol-
lowed. If Senator Borah offers a sub
sti.ute slate with some other repub-
ican named as chairman of the
finance committee, it is a safe bet that
some conservative democrats will
vote against his substitute, because
they believe in the seniority rule in
selecting committees.
OF course Senator Borah may offer
the name of a democratic senator as
a substitute for Senator Penrose, and
thus get the democratic votes. Or
the democrats might present slate
of their own, and get the support OF
Borah and other progressives. But
senator's to whom such possibilities
are mentioned declare they are from
Missouri and must be shown before
they believe that any republican SEN
ator will deliberately force the Or
ganiZatton Of the senate by the demo-
Gratis.
Will Hays. republican national chair
man, was here Thursday and Friday
and conferred with all parties con-
cerned. But the differences have not
yet been healed, it was said last night.
1t is well known that number of
the republicans inside and outside Of
the Senate would like to see Mr. PEN
rose step aside and permit some other
republican to become chairman of the
finance committee. Pressure will be
brought to bear to bring this about
But so far Mr.. Penrose is stading firm
the finance committee, under the SEN
iOrky rule.