The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-23
PROGRESSIVES STILL
 BLUFF ABOUT REFORMS

Washington, May 2.-(special) = The rule of Penrose, administered by Lodge, nettles the progressive republicans of the Senate and a revolt is threatened.
 Senator Kenyon, some months ago, in- troduced a bill to curb the packers or Chicago. His bill would establish gov erniaental commission for the regulatloA of this business. Penrose put the bill to sleep.
 Senator Kenyon. in effect, so charged on the floor. It is the only bill, he argued which pends with a promise of reducing the cost of living. The steering commit tee. he continued, will find no place Tor IL on the calender. This caused Lodge to squirm uneasily in his seat. He had to defend the "standpatters." He denied that the steering committee had strangled the bill.
 ''Of course not retorted Kenyon. The steering committee has simply failed to find a place for it on the calendar"
 At this juncture Senator Johnson of California-possibly in the home of en- hancing his candidacy for President pointedy observed that the steering com mittee had repeatedly ignored his own measure establishing minimum wage.
 He spoke his mind very freely regard ing the merits of the bill and the neces- sity for its enactment He threatened to give the steering committee repeated op- portunity to bring the bill out of cover in order that 1t might be voted upon in the Senate.
 The "old guard" was almost moved to "a defense of itself but finally abandoned the project. On the contrary, it sat very still and suffered itself to be roundly abused by men who should at least feel sympathetically inclined to the "old guard because, despite it's sins, it is re- publican, just the same. And possibly xr-- ~c Kenyon and Johnson were futile, even if they were not uttered for political effect. For had not the progressives, despite their complaints and their threats, de- spite their knowledge of what must of necessity follow, suffered the "old guard to organize the Senate with Penrose as chairman of the powerful committee on finance?
 AS to whether or not the progressives are bluffing remains to be seen. They threaten to join the democrats, who de- sire such procedure, in a fiilibuster in hope of preventing the 'old guard ad- journing Congress early in June prior to the enactment of some little legislation having for it's object reduction of the cost Of living. The progressives have threat ened, have bluffed, on innumerable occa- sions. Twice they have made good their threats: once when, joining the democrats of the House, they destroyed CannoniSm, and again, when they holted the conven- tion which nominated Taft over Roose- welt. Their course. in each instance, re- dounded to the advantage of the demo- crats.
 But the great majority of their threats have proved to be bluffs, pure and simple. When the republicans planned Ito organ ize the Senate following their return to power as result of the 1915 elections, the progressives made certain demands. on the ''standpatters." They served notice that Penrose should not be chosen chair man of the finance committee; that, in fact, the rule of priority in cleo ting chair men should be abandoned. They said much about the chairmen of dozen committees, all "standpatters," control- ing the Senate. and thereby Congress and tie government. But they were bluffing. Only one of them might have joined the democrats and proven ed the republicans organizing the Senate. But had they done so, democrats would have controlled the patronage, and a progressive is just as hungry for patronage, the greatest stimulant for constituencies, as the "standpa tters.' The "standpatters'' knew this. So they remained very caln-and proceeded to organize the Senate with Penrose, fully panoplied in brass and ayrodupois, in undisputed command.
 The progressives. in this instance, have no greater opportunity to bully the "standpatters' than they had when the 1918 organization of the Senate was at tempted. Then, on account of the nar- row margin between the strength of the democrats and republicans, they could have deprived Penrose of the chairman ship of the finance committee, could have deprived Lodge of the leadership of the majority, could have deprived half a hun dred ambitious individuals of committee