The Washington herald., 1922-07-10
McCormick Urges Mem.
bers of Committees
Elect Chairmen.
WOULD BE BLOW
TO LA TOILETTE
Republicans Fear Wis.
cOnsin Man as Head of
Finance Body.

Senator Medill Mccormick, Of Him
OILS. has inaugurated a campaign to
aorogate the seniority rule under
which Senators of the longest contin-
uous service are given the chairman
SHIPS OF committees without regard
TO ability. for the positions of vital
Importance in legislation.
Working ir conjunction with the
Illinois Senator is a group of Repub-
hcans who aim to smash the senior
ity rule in the House Enlisted in
the campign also are a number of
Northern Democrats who have grown
restive under the operation OF the
seniority rule which. when the Demo
cratic party is in the majority. places
the solid South in the saddle.
Proposes Election.
Although 1t Is not a formal rule In
either house and is only an unwritten
party tradition. the seniority rule has
never been violated by either party
in the Senate since the tradition be-
came firmly established and only once
in the House since the days of Speak
er Cannon. The rule was given a
severe wallop last year when Rep
resentative Madden. Illinois. was pro-
NOTED to the Craftsmanship of the Ap-
ranking Republican member, Repre-
sentative Davis, Minnesota.
Senator Mccormick is going to in
itiate his fight with a letter to Re
publican leader Lodge proposing tnat
the conference of Republican Senators
abrogate the rule and provide that
the members of each committee shall
elect the chairman. leaving to the
Committee on Committees the sole
functioning of designating the COM
mittee members. As the custom now
! obtains the Committee Op Commit
tees designates also the chairman Of
each committee and for that place
selects the ranking member in years
of continuous service on the COM
mittee.
Blow to La Toilette.
Under the seniority rule there
have been numerous Senators who
have achieved committee chairman
Rships, although UNITED for the re-
sponsibility. Frequently a Senator
is allowed the titular rank of chair
man, although too old and infirm to
perform the duties. An instance is
XSenator Page. Vermont, chairman
OF the Naval Affairs Committee, who
is retiring at an advanced age. SEN
ator Poindexter. Washington, for
some time has been virtually acting
chairman of the committee.
Senator La Toilette, Wisconsin, Is
Ilikely to be the first victim of the
move to abolish the seniority rule.
IL II succeeds. With Senator Nc
Cumber. North Dakota, defeated.
there is only Senator Smoot, Utah,
ranking La Toilette in the Finance
smoot will retire from the Senate
to become head of the Mormon
Church have alarmed numerous Re
publicans who fear the thought of
La Toilette as chairman of finance.
From the ranks of such Republic
ans Senator Mccormick has drawn
unexpected support for his cam
paign-
wisconsin Senator Opposes.
La Toilette is opposed to aboli-
tIon of the seniority rule. contend
ing that II represents the only as
surance of a progressive minority
Of eventually achieving powerful
position in the Senate. He has no
Shankering, however, for the finance
craftsmanship. pr6erring to succeed
to the chairmanship OF the inter-
,ate Commerce Committee OF which
Senator Cummins. Iowa, now is
sbairman. Senator Townsend,
Michigan. is next in rank. and La
Toilette next.
1t took Senator Cummins only
haIf Cf the usual period of service
q reach the chairmanship of the
Interstate Commerce Committee. for
he went on the committee well up
n the list in place Of Deliver, whom
kldriCh had promised to have trans
erred TO the Finance Committee.
kldrich replaced Dolliver with Gum
nins on Interstate Commerce. but
allied to put Dolliver on Finance.
hat was the beginning Of Dolli-
er's insurgency against the Payne
IdrIch tariff bill.