The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-14
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN, Director,
Washington, d. G.
NEW PARTIES IN CONGRESS.

both OF our grand old parties about
to pass off the political scene?
The question is justified by the for
nation within the present congress OF
a series of little groups, or blocs, each
of which represents a definite eco
nomic interest, such as that of labor,
the farmers and the veterans of the
World war.
This is the form of organization
which prevails in most European par
liaments. Under it, legislation is passed
by a system of quid-pro-quo among
the various groups. The labor group
agrees to support certain things the
farmers want in return for support
from the farmer bloc on certain other
measures, and so On.
Friends of this development in our
congress say that it means the tardy
funeral of a party system which has
two parties have long. since ceased to
stand for genuinely divergent inter-
ests. Their platforms, it is claimed,
have been made as non-committal as
possible, IN order to get the support
of as many different groups as pos
sible. and have thus become almost
meaningless. Thus every platform,
Democratic and Republican, processes
the undying friendship of the party
for the farmer. but is not highly spe-
cific as to what it is going to give him.
He gets about the same, no matter
which party is elected. 1t is natural
therefore, that the farmers should
organize to make their real needs
known, and that the senators and
representatives who are willing to sup.
port those needs should organize also.
Here is the beginning of series OF
parties, each of which will represent
certain real needs and desires of a real
class of men. in place of two parties
each of which is held together only by
habit. heredity and sentiment.
This innovation is viewed with
alarm by many legislators who see
their whole machinery of party gov
eminent threatened.
The Old System.
In the days when "Uncle Joe" Can
non presided as speaker the direction
of legislation rested largely in the
hands of the speaker. He appointed
members of all committees, and even
designated who should be chairmen.
This system was overthrown and sue
ceeded by the rules which at present
govern the conduct of the house, and
legislation before it, in the famous
Cannon rules fight
At this time, the legislative program
is largely in the hands of a small body
of men known as the steering COM
mittee.' No bill of any importance
has much chance unless it wins the
approval of this committee. There the
course of legislation is mapped out,
and legislative tactics decided upon.
With the overwhelming Republican
ma jority elected last fall, it was gen.
orally supposed that everything would
be- easy for the majority leaders in
the house and senate. Now rocks and
reefs are beginning to loom ahead,
placed there. not by the small Demo-
cratic minority, but by the formation
of groups OR b1ocs, made up of mem
bers of both the big parties, who are
openly declaring their intention to
Il za,-i<N
A group is already in existence,
numbering in it's ranks members of
the house and senate alike, avOwedly
holding together, regardless of party
affiliations, representing labor in con-
gress. Recently was announced the
formation of a farmer group or bloc,
composed of 20 senators and 100 rep
resentatives all of whom will place the
passa ge of what they consider needful
agricultural legislation above all other
political and legislative consideration.
Twenty-four ex-soldier members of
the house, many of them first-term
members, have affiliated and declared
war on the regular army whenever
that institution enters the legislative
lists
There is also a Pacific coast group,
and a group pledging itself to placing
reclamation projects by irrigation
above party consideration and politi-
cal lines of cleavage. Other groups
are formed or are in process of forma-
ton.
Not only do the members OF these
groups pledge themselves to stand SOL
idly together for the class of legisla-
ton they desire, but to vote together
on all other projects where it is de-
cided that the interests of their group
would be furthered.
| The strength of these organizations
Of the members Of congress, all of
which will be minorities. of course,
| lies in the hope of being able to force
the Republican majority leaders to ap-
prove their legislative programs.
| With the growth of the groups. and
collateral to it, is the astonishing
growth in the national capital of "class
| lobbies.' 1t is estimated that there
are about 125 of these Hobbies in
Washington conducting campaigns for
the interests they represent advocate.
| Congress in Revolt.
In addition to this pressure on con-
gress, which has had much to do with
the formation of the blocs in congress,
\ there has been a reaction on the part
house against the old methods of
party rule. These men. because of
| their own convictions, are ready to
| throw overheard the old control of
Legislation by party caucus and ma
| jorfty leadership.
| lift becomes firmly established, this
group formation will be an entirely
l new thing in American legislative life.
With rare exceptions, the membership
of the senate and house has been made
Eup of Republicans and Democrats
since the Civil war. There was the
great uRheval of 1912, when the Pros
gressive party was formed, but that
party and it's membership soon drifted
back to the Republican party. Oc-
caSonally lone Socialist manages to
get elected to the house, or the repre-
| sentative of some new party. In a
body of 435 members however, this is
| insignificant as party representation.
The swing of the pendulum back
and forth between Republican and
Democratic control would be checked
completely by actual alignment of
most of the house and senate members
in the groups being formed. No 'one
tEroup could muster sufficient MEM
bership to control either body Each
! in itself would be a minority Legis-
1 Il