The Washington herald., 1921-04-09

Republicans of strong personality
and of a marked disposition to fol-
low an individual. course-men like
Borah of Idaho. La Toilette Of Wis
consin, johnson of California, Nor
ris of Nebraska, and Kenyon OF
Iowa. -.
These men have no more dispo-
sition now than" heretofore to sur
| render their individual convictions
to a party program. but for the
present the spirit of the times is
unfavorable to any success on the
part of these individuals compar-
able to the sort of thing which led
to the insurgent movement during
raft's administration.
Very Little Insurgency.
In the House there is in sight 30
little of the nature Of insurgency
that Il may be said to be practi-
| cally non-existent. The autocracy
of Cannon. which was broken up
| by the insurgency of ten years ago.
was followed by a period during
which the Republican party was in
the minority and during which,
therefore, there was less tempta-
1
tion to Insurgency.
| During that period an evolution
has taken place and the power which
Cannon once had. so far as II now
exists at all. js in the person. not
Of the Speaker. but OF the nocr
leader
Speaker Gillett, as presiding ON
Ger. has practically as little power
as the Vice President has in presid,
Ing over the Senate. He has come
to be a parliamentary moderator
pure and simple. The personifica-
tion Of power now rests In the floor
leader. Frank Mondell. of wyom-
ing.
Mr.. Mondeli has, a great deal of
POWER. He is not only the floor
leader. he Is also the chairman of
the Republican Steering Committee
and the chairman Of the Committee
on Committees.
Power, however Is always ex-
pressed in the personality OF the
man who exercises II and Is tenn
pered by that personality.
Mr.. Mondell's personality Is as
far as possible from that concep-
tion of power which used to cause
Speaker Cannon to be called a czar.
Mr.. Mondelrs conception Of power
IL that he expresses not his indi-
vidual will. but the collective will
Of his party associates.
In Exceedingly Active.
As the floor leader he moves abe ut
Ievery hour OF the day among his
party associates. As the chairman Of
the Steering Committee he MEETS
with the committee practically ev-
cry day.
Out of the impression of the ag-
gregate wishes of his party in Con-
gress, derived from these continuous
and intimate contacts. he formu-
lates the position of the party as to
what legislation snail OF shall not
he brought up and what action shall
be taken on II.
1 Mr.. Mondell will work also in fire.
uuent and sympathetic contact with
President Harding and with the
leaders of the party in the Senate.
A conception Of leadership which
lies in getting q consensus of opin-
lon Is not likely to lead to the sort
Of Insurgency that arose under Can
non and makes for the probability.
for the present at least. of the Re-
pubiicans carrying out their pro-
gram comfortably. -
So much for the Republican pro-
gram. AS to ths Democrats, the
only program they can have as a
minority party Is a program of op-
position. Just what they will do In
that line is not yet crystallized.
Underwood Prepares for Fray.
Their most important leader. Sem
ator Underwood. of Alabama, who is
the Democratic floor leader in the
Senate, has, been taking a vacation
In preparation for the extremely
trying duties of a summer tariff ses-
sion. It will be some time before II
will be possible to say either what
the Democrats decide to do or to
what degree their course win be
supported by the country.
In the House the Democratic rep
resentation is SO small compared to
the Republican that the party will
necessarily be feeble. Even more
striking than their weakness In
numbers Is their weakness in lead
ership.
In fact, in the House so many able
Democrats were dislodged by the
landslide last November that 1t can
almost be said that their leadership
there, so far as 1t can now be fore
seen, will be negligible.
4 In the Senate, while the Demo
Gratis are only 81 to ss, they number
among them SO many able men that
their leadership in opposition may
well turn out to. be formidable.
Senator Underwood, both for his