The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-29
Fruitlessly Attempt Also to
Dictate Majority's Chair
manships.
REPUBLICANS ARE SOLID
Lodge Motion for Election Of
Committee Heads by Roll
call Is Adopted.
Special Despatch TO THE suS.

every tradition OF that body to-day and
can majority there but to dictate to the
majority the chairmen OF their commit
tees. Apparently everybody In WASH
ington believed that the objections Of the
liberal Republicans to Senator Penrose
(Pa) as chairman of the Finance Com
mlttee were to be confined to q fight in
the ranks Of the party and not carried to
the Senate floor to let the Democratic
minority slip in between and grab con-
troll OF tho Senate.
Republican solidarity was we'll demon
strated In a series OF votes by which the
report OF the Committee on Committees
was adopted.
The Democrats made a determined
fight in the hope of breaking into the
Republican phalanx and Of putting on
record those Republicans who after
threatening revolt against the selection
OF Senator Penrose voted to confirm him
rather than risk the possibility of n
Democratic chairman of the Finance
Committee.
Two Democrats. Gerry OR. ID and
johnson IS. d. were absent, while the
Republicans mustered their full forty
nine votes. Had the Democrats all been
in their places the result would have
been unchanged, however. In the abb
sence of Vice-President Marshall Sena-
tor Cummins Uowa). President pro tenn.
was in the chair during most Of the or
ganization fight.
Lodge Brings on Fireworks.
At the opening Mr.. Lodge (Mass)
presented, as Republican leader, the re-
port OF the Republican committee on
committee assignments. The fireworks
began instantly He moved an order
for its adoption and Mr.. Hitchcock
tNeb). who managed the Democratic
fight, rose to ask:
us this matter OF high privilege
and debatable?'
The chair held 1t a matter of high
privilege, but was uncertain without in
vestigaton whether II was debatable. II
was finally agreed that 1t should be re-
garded as debatable.
Mr.. Hitchcock then made a point of
order that the election of chairmen of
committees under the rule must be by
ballot and by the vote Of a majority.
while other members OF committees
could be elected en- bloc and by plurality.
This, he asserted, was impossible un-
der the Lodge order.
Mr.. Lodge urged that the rule was
subject to the Senate's right to order
otherwise and that the motion he had
submitted was an order prescribing a
different procedure, Mr., Hitchcock de-
clared the rule was intended to protect
the minority.
After long discussion MIR. Hitch
cock moved as a substitute to elect by
roll call the committee chairmen prom
Using that he would not apply II save
In the ma for r0muniffaaa Manifasfly
the real purpose was to embarrass the
liberal Republicans by forcing them to
record themselves specifically for Mr..
Penrose.
First Test of Party Regularity.
Mr.. Lodge moved to table this amend
ment and the roll was ordered 1t was
the first test of party regularity.
The Republicans surprise was caused
when La Toilette (WLs) voted with the
Democrats against tabling. Otherwise
1t was a party vote. For tabling, As
Republicans; against tabling, a. Demo-
Gratis. Republican.
There were three absentees. Gerry
Or. - and johnson Is. d., who were
out OF the city. and Phelan (Cal). who
came in later. All three are Democrats,
and had they voted there would have
been tie, As to As. 1t would not, how
ever. have changed the Anal outcome
because later Mr. La Toilette lined up
with the Republicans
Senator Calder's vote with the Re
publicans was challenged by Mr.. Pitt
man tNev.) on the ground that Mr.
Calder was paired last session with
Mr.. Gerry Or. ID. who is on his way
home from France. The presumption,
1t was explained. was that the pair
would live over into the present session.
Mr.. Calder said his understanding was
the reverse and insisted on voting.
Mr.. Hitchcock tried a new tack then.
He moved TO strike out the word -chair-
man" after the name Of Mr.. Penrose
as head Of the Finance Committee This
brought the Penrose matter as near as
possible TO a direct issue, and at this
point Mr.. La Toilette went over to the
Republican side. Mr.. Lodge moved TO
table the Hitchcock amendment and
It carried. As to AZ
Here Senator Thomas (Col), Demo-
crat, rose to discuss what he consld-
cred the most important part of the
organization business a change OF the
rules to prevent unlimited conversation
and therefore filibustering.
"PenrOse Gnat and Lodge Camel"
Personally 1 have difficulty under
standing the mental processes OF gentle
men who strain at the Penrose gnat
and swallow the Lodge camel, which
SHES violently from the Senator from
wyoming. Mr.. Warren. but embraces the
Senator from Utah, Mr. Smoot. To me
they all look alike politically.
The country now knows on the record
made here to-day that harmonw prevails
on the Republican side. The Republican
party is in the majority, albeit a slender
end dangerous majority. The old guard
Is once more in the saddle and the old
Republican policies doubtless will be re-
sumed and made effective IL possible"
The Senator proceeded at length with
his argument. Then Mr. Lodge framed a
motion to elect the chairman Of commit
tees by roll call
Mr.. Hitchcock amended TO provide
that the Republicans should have only
two majority on the more important
committees. This was tabled, 49 10 "A.
end the Republicans will hold the three
majority they had demanded.
Before the final question on the Lodge
motion Mr. Lodge said:
For the first time in nv experience
as a member OF the Senate, and 1 he:
heve for the first time in the history OF
this body. there has been an attempt by
one party to dictate the chairmen and
members Of the committees representing
another party. The attempt has been 10
dictate or interfere with us In assigning
whom We chose AS our representatives on
the committees.
obviously we could do the same thing
to our opposition. We could leave on
entirely the members nominated from
that side. But we feel that yorr ran,a