, 1921-06-09
MONDEIL AND THE SENATE

The Republican papers of the
state are discussing to a great ex-
tent the candidates and the posi-
of the election OF 1922. Not
long since the Sheridan Post stated
that 1t was the purpose OF Congress-
man Frank W. Mondell to become
q candidate for the senate, provided
the people of the state wished him
to do 30. More recently the Casper
Tribune gave editorial expression to
the belief that 1t would be the best
policy, all things considered, for Mr..
Mo- bill 70 feRain in the house. The
Trfg dne article follows:
The people Of Wyoming should
weight very carefully and view in all
of its aspects the proposal Of asking
Frank Mondell to become . ,candi-
date for the United States senator
ship. Those Journals most busily
engaged in advocating such . step.
call 1t advancement. 1t II advance
ment, either for Mr.. Mondel or for
the people Of Wyoming3
The Tribune has no Information
from Mr.. Mondell that he will be-
come . candidate and cannot con-
ceive that he would consider such .
O either from . public or 4 prt-
vate point of view. For mor than
twenty years the people Of Wyoming
have been returning Mr.. Mondell to
the house. BY his long. and at the
same time valuable services. he has
gained great prestige. He has earn
ed advancement from minor COM
mittee chairmanships to the chair
manships of the most powerful COM
mittees in the House to minority
leader in q Democratic congress to
Republican floor leader in . Repub-
lican congress. His next step IL the
speakership. the most exalted and
desirable position in the lower
branch and coveted by every one Of
members. The speakerahip IL just
within Mr.. Mondell's grasp. certain
and sure; and with his acknowledged
ability, eminent fitness, rank and
priority gained by long service, the
high honor is certain to come to
him.
wyoming and Frank W. Mondell
have played fair with each other for
long years. Each owes to the other
great deal. 1t has seemed . wise
and desirable arrangement that he
be returned at each successive elec-
ton as Wyoming's representative.
Az proof Of what runs in the minds
Of Wyoming people he has been re-
elected his own successor with stead
lily increasing ma5orities until at the
recent election he gained the d3stinc-
ton Of securing the highest vote ever
given to any candidate for office in
the state. In the years there has
grown up an understanding between
the people of the state and Frank
Mondell that he would continue to
them in tho house until
he was ready to retire, having at
by successive steps all OF the
and emoluments that branch
Of congress offered.
1t is inconceivable to those who
take pride. in Frank Mondell that
from any point Of view he should be
willing 1t this time Of life to cast
aside his present certain prospects
for q senate membership where he
would at best be at the foot Of the
and compelled to make the
slow toilsome ascent all over, and
under the seniority rule life remain
ing would not be long enough to
reach that position in the senate
he occupies in the house
would be the loser. Mr..
Mondell would be the loser, and the
old pleasant and close relationship |
be gone forever.
In a strong administration such as
Harding's Is and will con-
tinue to be. there r. three powerful
and all-important positions. The
in American politics-the
presidency, the speakership and the
leadership of the republican
majority. Appropriations and most
of the consequential legislation origi-
nate in the house and 1t is by far the
most influential part of congress OF
which to be a member II M Is
speaker or majority leader. The
Harding administration will con-
tinue and Mr.. MondelIs place and
part in 1t seems to be plainly pointed
out.
Since there has never been any In
dication Of s%elfishness upon the part
Of the people Of Wyoming or MT.
Mondell. would 1t now be a matter
Of selfishness or a matter Of wisdom
to ask Wyoming to yield Its great
strength with Mr.. Mondell as speaker
or Republican leader in the house
to. 60 to the senate there to occupy
a more or less ordinary position?
The point Is what do the people
of Wyoming and MIR. Mondell gain
and what do they both lose by the
proposition change from the house
10 the senate? s
: 1t 10 true that Mr.. Mondell has
built himself up In the house of rep
resentatives to the most Influential
position In that body and that Wyo-
ming has gained prestige and profit
thereby. 1t Is also true that he
would not at once have the same In
fluence in the senate. But there Is
another side, and q very strong one,
to the argument. 1t has been the
ambition Of every member OF con-
gress 20 at some time occupy q seat
in the senate. In the house a mem
ber's vote is one in 435, in the sem
ate 1t is one in 90. A member there
fore has more than four times the
voting power. With the senators
from a state in full accord they have