Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-01-29
Decision to Have Lodge Name
Committee on Committees
First Step in Revision Of
Time honored Custom.
PENROSE LIKELY TO LOSE
Senator Nugent Breaks All
Records for Congressional
Modesty; He Has Yet to
Make His Maiden Address.
6capital News Special Service

tGapital News Special Service.)
Washington, Jan. 29-There is every
indication that the Republicans in the
senate with the narrow working ma
iority of only two see the necessity Of
getting together. And they are get
ting together.
Nothing so accurately presages uni
fled action as the decision to have
Senator Lodge, majority leader, APP
point committee on committees The
idea of Il committee on committees is
new one in the senate. Such
scheme might be said now to be writ
ten into the organic law of the house
since the old Cannon rules were over
thrown, but in the senate, heretofore
the seniority rule has been so sacred
that no member has ever essayed to
touch III.
Only in one instance in recent years
has seniority been overridaen and
that was when the Democrats came
into control Of the upper body in 1918.
In making their organization they
chose Senator Martin OF Virginia 70.
chairman of the committee on appro-
Lriations in the place of Senator Till
man of South Carolina, who was the
IA lking Democratic member. This was
cone because it was felt Senator Till
mans health was too feeble for the
responsibility that thus important
place carries. Senator Tillman never
quite forgave his Democratic associ-
ates for what he regarded as a politi-
cal and personal "throwdown'' al
though they sought to placate him ~
making his chairman Of the committee
on naval affairs.
ANCIENT RULE PERiLED.
Singularly enough, by reason of the
war, the naval committee assumed al
most, if not more, Importance, than
the appropriations committee and the
South Carolina senator felt at the
time Of his demise that the humila-
tion had been somewhat removed by
conditions, over which his fellow Dem
ocratic senators had no control, how
ever
1t is taken for granted that this
committee of seven appointed by Sen.
ator Lodge viii disregard the senior
ty rule in some cases where questions
have been raised that threaten the
peace and success of the Republican
party, else why have such commit
tee.
The senators who are to be satisfied
are Borah of Idaho; Norris of Neb-
raaSa; Kenyon. of Iewa Johnson of
California. and. who knows, maybe
Lafollette of Wisconsin, and Capper
of Kansas The probability is that the
next congress Will try to enact a new
tariff law. 1t is foreseen that the
country is going to demand a law with
more protection in it than Is provided
by the Underwood law. and there are
q lot of Republicans who dislike to
see the name Of Penrose prefixed to
it, and that IS what will happen un-
less Senator Penrose valves his SEMI
GRITTY claim TO the Craftsmanship Of the
finance committee, or this new com
mtttee on committees takes hold of
the situation and frames the organize
ton differently
PENRoSE MAY SiDESTEP.
1t is believed that Senator Penrose
himself sees the necessity of coinpos-
ing all differences and that he is will
ing to stand aside n the interest Of
harmony. The question that is troub-
ling some of the senate leaders in
event that Penrose is not made chair
man of the finance committee is what
to do with Poindexter of Washing
ton. Senator Poindexter would sue
coed to the Craftsmanship of the naval
committee II Penrose headed the fl
nance committee, but liz Panrose is
crowded off finance he is entitled I'M
der the seniority rule to the chairman
ship OF the naval affairs committee
which would not be Objectionable to
any other Republican senator Pom
dexter fits SO admirably into the
Craftsmanship of naval affairs that it
IS understood even Penrose would
like to see him get the place.
With an extra session now prac-
tically certain this special committee
IS expected TO begin early considera-
ton TO tile little points in the pro-
posed senate organization which
threaten friction.
Who is the most modest member of
the United States senateo Take the
the roll of the senate and then run
back over the pages of the congress
sional record to some time In Janu-
airy of last year and you will soon dis
cover. IT any members of the senate
were to be cited for distinguished
modesty and medals awarded In the
proper order the first prize would I'M
+.
Nugent of Idaho. Senator Nugent is
right now rounding out his first
years service in the senate and his
maiden speech Is yet nnmade, a cir
cumstance almost unheard of in the
upper body Of congress where other
men many OF them of far less ability
than Senator Nugent have been known
to take advantage of the quantity
production rules to talk for days <and
even nights.
And 1t Is difficult TO find where
Senator Nngent has interrupted other
senators IN the course of debates. But
al TINS does not mean that Mr.. NJ
gent is not just as great statesan
as others who talk more, because he
Is nard working senator performing
conscientious service for his state. He
looks the part of senator SO strik-