Evening capital. [volume] (Annapolis, Md.) 1922-1981, 1922-11-23
: THURSDAY. NUgENBER 28. l9gg


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER %. 1927.
~ -
THE SENIORITY RULE
The ancient rrlc OF the United
States Senate. by which chair
snanship OF committees is arriv-
cd at by length 81 time served in
the body instead Of fitness. is
again under attack. There is the
peculiarly in the situation. how
ever, that while ordinarily such
attacks are made wholly by pro-
grcsslves, the radicals in some in
stances now have an advantage
by the rule The reactionaries
are aroused by the ncarncss OF
Senator LaFollettc. by the senior
lty arrangement, TO some of the
most important chairmanships.
including that Of the powerful
iiIiancci committee. Scnator
Borah, whom the conservatives
also-view as akin 70 radicalisin.
IS another who, paradoxically.
might profit by the ancient Gus
tom, ........s..s-- ..-.-~,-. ~
That the Republican Old
Guard, With its rule BY the an
cionts."Nlli6 SILL think in terms
of the tarili-baron age that was
SUPPOSED 10 have been ended by
the uphcaval OF 1919. would lis
ten even iur moment -tu-a s,fr
gestion Of doing away WITH Tie
seniority custom. shows the cx-
tremlty III which ii finds itself
In fact, the old Guard is between
two fires On the one hand j. the
menace To it of LaFollctte. who
is proclaiming his reelection by
an overwhelming plurality as a
rebuke TO President Harding
but, ii the seniority rule is aban-
doned to hold the senator from
Wisconsin in check. the bars al
SO are let down to the other radi-
calls to participate in the general
fight
Nevertheless, in a government
by the people. the sentiment
shown i'll an election is supposed
TO be needed, and congress- is sup
posed TO bc organized in man
ncr 60 reflect the spirit oil ;hc
country. Il the coputry elects TO
act in the spirit ., the rwen-
tieth Century II should not find
IN. its WAY 4 number OF senate
tcomnnttee chairmcu thinking in
the terms OF the Glacial Period.
1t all human beings were equal
in brains and integrity. then the
seniority rule. making use OF ex-
pcrience, would commend itself
While some men increase in Wis
dom with age, there are other.
who can reach only certain
point and Wha become preiudiced
against all who sc beyond.
When senator ceases to think
and act in keeping with a mod
crn age, he should not be permit
ted to have a commanding posi-
ton.
What the United States aud
humanity lost by the seniority
rule that advanced tienrV talbot
Lodge to the Craftsmanship OF the
foreiga relations cea3nittoe. and.
10 the leadership q the senate in
one oftthe greatest crises in his
tory is beyoad reasoning.
Throughout the wao,e crises Sen
ator Lodge acted mere rs il using
his public position q vent his
partisan spite against N oodrow
Wilson than TO serve the cause
of world peace. llN means OF the
purchased election 81 Ncnbcrry
in Michigan he Was able TO or
game the senate and pack the
foreign relations committee
against the great accomplishment
Tor world peacc-'hc League OF
Nations.
Had there been no seniority
rule in the senate at that time.
and the Republicans OF the body
been free to organize wholly
upon the. basis OF fitness. sonic
member OF the party with more
breadth of mind and heart might
have been chosen in place of the |