Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-16
DEMOCRATS MISS
SKILLED LEADERS
Republicans Having Own Way
in Debate Upon Peace
Treaty.
NEED MARTIN AND WILSON
Minority Forces Wavering and
Divided, While Majority Is
on Offensive.
lEED MARTIN AND WILSON
ny }. FRED EssARy.

is facing the Republican hosts in the
Senate and which mus. nee, their
merciless assaults in the great parlia-
mentary battle already raging over the
treaty OF peace and the league Of ma
tions. The session Is far enough ad-
vanced TO make this painfully mani
fest, and TO indicate very clearly that
the Democratic element must remain
on the defensive unless the President
+ mself upon his return is able to turn
tte tide in the other direction.
he maneuver!ng of the past .wo
,.ecks has been largely of Republican
initiative. The majority Senator have
set the pace. They Rave maintained
offensive action all along the line.
the" have made issues and nave kept
up constant, unreicnting drum fire
OF debate. Again and again they have
crowded the Democrats to the ropes
and although the minority has asked
more apparent that they are not
showing enough resourcefulness in
meeting the attacks of their oppo-
The fact is tina, at no time during
the pas; five or six years have the
Dem ocrats in Congress shown such in
eucctiNeness in defending party poll
cies. They have become SO used TO
relying upon tho President for their
strength. for headwork and for will
power that they have become more or
ID enough fight in them. as individuals
pcrhaps, but there is no cohesion
There IS no organized resistance and
there are no towering lenders in either
body upon whom the rank and file may
lean for guidance.
Stngc Dramatic Context.
This is particularly true OF the SEN
ate. where the most dramatic contest
the duel in that body has been be-
tween soldihed Republican ma
Jori,y-numerically narrow though II
ir-and falterins minority. During
ten days Senator Hitchcock has stood
practically alone against the on
slaushts OF tho Republicans He has had
no substantial support from any quar-
ter. He has not even had n militant
and undivided minority behind him.
On the Borah resolution to print the
ample. the minority went all To pieces.
more than IA dozen Democrats voting
with the Republicans.
Il The best brains Oh the Democratic
side OF tho chamber is not in action at
I'LL There is John Sharp Williams
iint"liectually equipped To meet any
he has assumed little OF the burden Of
the debate. There Is oscar Under
wood. veteran legislator. able. calm
and hard hitting. but he has taken al
most no part in the proceedings. SEN
ator Walsh Of Montana. has great
force and great learning. but aside
from one set speech. be has not heen
heard from Senator Reed is both bold
and brilliant, but he is nsmrgine
against his own party. senator shields
Tnanss 41s sre'i ,n a'liy as has Senator
moved into The arena.
Miss Senator Martin.
Wors; Of all. Senator Martin. of vir-
S!nia. floor leader of the minority.
strong. fearless. adroit, a master OF
parliamentary practice and a natural
IL - of m Il -. 10.
from the senate because OF sickness
senator Martin is not a great deba,er
and never posed as such although he
who starts II: But he has wisdom--a
rare thing. He knows how 10 organ
ne and he knows how 10 boss even as
rebel lious body. OF men as forty or
nifty Dem ocratic Senators.
In many respects, senator Martin is
coun icrnart of the late Senator Cor
ma, nan, Of Maryland, as powerful par
forces in much the same manner He
lines up his men in unhroken ranks.
He forces the fiGhtinE. never waiting
for the enemy to get him on the run
And he knows the weak spots in the
opposition. as Senator German always
knew. In the old days the late Mary
lander used 10 take his seat just in
side the door Of tho Democratic cloak
room. where he could watch the pro-
ceedinEs on both sides OF the chrmber
without himself being visible. except
that position he would direct his corps
OF fighters. Sometimes he would send
n page to the late Senator Carmack
of Tennessee, with sunimons When
Carmack would appear Senator Cor
man would say:
Go out there. Carmack. and make
old Aldr!ch mad"
Getting Senator's Goat.
Carmack. with an intellect as keen
as forked lightning and tongue
as sharp as Il rapier. would quietly
take mis- seat on The floor. wait for an
opening and finally interrupt 81 speech
which Aldrich would be making In
less than a minute he would have the
late Rhode Islander frothin at the |
mouth, whcreupon Senator German. |
seeing Aldrich off guard. would lead
a charge through the lines of the enc
my These are the kind OF things that !
made Arthur l.. German Il master of |
almost any situation. whether his |
forces were in the minority or in the |!
majority. And senator Martin knows |
in much the same way how To rattle |
the pitcher, how 10 hefuddlc the
Lodges and the EaIrh hs and how to |
keep his own lines always intact for |
dash against the opposition breast |
works. But senator Martin is not here |
and there is nobody to take his place. |
iZed Democrats there is formidable
combination. In the 'front.' rank. there |
Is Lodge, experienced. alert and con-
scious of superiority. There is Knox.
public career. There is Hiram John
son. htundcrer of thundcrcrs There |
Is Borah. snave and forccful and
plausible. There is Cummins i'm some
respects the ablest of them ALL and nj |
all times ready for drive. and last
and most important from the stand |
point of real leadership. there is Boies
Penrose, that silent but sly old fox |
from Pennsylvania.
Pcnrose Mnn OF Strength.
People may not like the Pcnrose tyne |
Of statesmansh!p. They may not ad- |
mire him as man or have any real
faith In his public services. but if they
know him at all. they must admit that
he has infinite strength; that hc |
knows the great game OF politics: that
he Is never blindfolded. ord that he |
never follows anybody. He leads. lie |
is always ahead OF his company He
~ always found pointing the way. And
he seldom miscalculates. He often goes
wrong because he thinks along wrong
lines. but once he takes course. he
Continued on Second Page.) !
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