The Washington herald., 1921-10-07
REGULARS SEEK
INSURGENTS ON
PLEAFOR UNITY
Increase of Independents
Threatens Party Con-
troll in Senate.
By ROBERT ,. BENDER.

ny hObEHT J. BENDER.
Republican administration lead
ers, on a plea for party unity, are
seeking to draw back into the fold
increasingly independent Senators
who have virtually divorced them
selves from the so-called Organise
tion group.
These independent elements, pri-
marily the agricultural bloc, but
including former Progressives, are
irritated at and distrustful of the
Senate leadership to date, and are
resisting the pressure to pull them
back.
The tug Of battle is developing
one OF the most interesting Senate
situations since the administration
OF the late Theodore Roosevelt when
Republican leaders created
Cherokee strip'-a special seating
arrangement-for a group of Sena-
tors who weren't under control"
Kenyon Declined JudEe.hip.
1t was not surprising, therefore.
to those familiar with the back
ground Of the present Senate situa-
ton that Senator Kenyon, a leader
In the agricultural bloc. declined a
presidential proffer OF Federal
Judgeship in Iowa. II Is the aerf-
cultural bloc that constitutes the
heart Of the situation "A nearly
organized group of Western and
Midwestern Senator's revolving at
Eastern rule OF the chamber.
The fact. however, that it is
nearly organized. and has as yet
developed no actual leader for com
plete organization, is the weak link
In the chain of circumstances upon
which the old guard leadersare put
ting their pressure. And leader
ship of the bloc Is rendered difficult
by the fact that both Democrats and
Republicans comprise its makeup.
The situation Is particularly in
teresting in that IL might develop
a new political control of the Sem
ate and possibly SOW the seed for
a new or greatly altered party,
starting during the Congressional
campaign next year. On the other
hand, lack of leadership might re-
suit in the present movement evap-
Grating into thin air.
Conditions withhold Leadership.
This lack of leadership is due to
different things. In the first place,
among certain of the independent
Senators there is mutual distrust
and some evidences of jealousy In
the second place, certain of this
element desire to play a lone
hand" declaring that to line up
with any faction would impair their
independence of action. Finally
there Is the presence of Democrats
in the so-called agricultural and
progressive bloc, and the feeling
Is that definite organization of the
whole, embodying- bipartisan con-
fiict with the regular Republican
organization, could scarcely be con-
templated unless or until the time
were reached that a new party were
deemed advisable.
This latter contingency is the
plea Republican administration
leaders are now stressing in an ef-
fort to draw back the different
blocs opposed to the present or
ganization. But the other phase
OF the situation-the lack of or
ganization of the opposition blocs
lis the practical means being en-
ployed to the end desired.
For example. the meeting at Sem
ator Capper's house Wednesday
night could not be accurately called
a meeting of the agricultural bloc.
Rather 1t was a conference of diff
ferent faction representatives de-
signed to effect an understanding
with the regular" leaders. Sen
ator Lodge was personally on hand
to prove the interest of the organ
ization. But all members of the
Opposition" were not present.
There were Inquiries among some
of these in the cloakrooms yester-
day as to why they were not in
yited.
situation Causes Irritation.
This. of course, was a situation
made possible by the fact that the
independents haxe no leader. And
the frritations growing out of such
a situation would naturally tend to
make resistance against return to
the united organization machinery
easier to break,
As things stand. disintegrated
minority blocs control the Senate
in the matter of opposition. United
under a strong leadership they
could, IL they desired. wrest SEN
ate control from the present Sem
atorial rulers, Or their construc-
tive program-if they could agree.
To keep them separated apd. above
all, to break up the Agricultural
bloc. appears to be the purpose or
the regulars.
1t is in no wise a fight involving
President Harding. 1t is wholly one
within the Senate itself. resulting
from delay in forming and carrying
out a program satisfactory to
Western and Midwestern Senator'S