Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-01-10
In the Legislative Saddle


ricultural bloc controlling and die
tating national legislation by pre-
cise1y the same processes employed by the
Platt-Tammany alliance in the halcyon days
of The sack Horse Cavalry at Albany is
painted in lurid language by Mr.. Louis Sci
bold in a dispatch to the New York Herald
from Washington.
Than Mr. Seibold there are few more en-
terprising, better informed and more enter
tanning correspondents at the National Capt.
tai AS staff correspondent of the New
York World for long period of years, Mr.
Seibold's too infrequent contributions to its
columns were read generally with approval
in the Democratic South. His dispatches
during the Presidential campaigns Of 1912
and 1916 and his subsequent writings from
Washington during the Administration OF
President Wilson we're pleasing to the
Sout-4ern viewpoint.
But Mr.. Seibold has changed his base, and
while he has lost none Of his ability as
writer, his point of view seems to have I'M
dergone singular change. Certainly his
forebodings over the asceEdency of the agra
rian interests in the councils of the Nation
seem strangely out place for one whose
attacks heretofore on Wall street and the
money power attracted widespread approval.
"The bloc is preparing to celebrate its
most important Individual victory by taking
advantage OIL the shopworn reac.ionary doc
trine of seniority to compel the selection OF
dirt farmer as Chairman OF the Senate
Finance committee in succession Of Sena-
tor Penrose," laments The Herald's cor
respondent.
We are told that tho "bloc" does not con-
cede anything to the "old guard" and
''stand pat" policies, and is bent, primarily,
upon the triumph o: the wheat interests of
the Missouri Valley and the cotton grow
ers of the South over the Wall Street
financier.
1t seems too horrible to believe Think of
the representatives from the great agricul-
tural States of the West and the South hav-
ing the audAcity to mite in Lnu interest OF
their constituents who have been exploited
for fifty years in the interest of the indus
trial and financial East!
1t is preposterous to suppose that any
Senator West of the Mississippi river enjoys
qualifications that suit him to sit as Chair
man of the great Finance committee of the
Senate - preposterous because heretofore
the East has contrived through the opera
ton of the "shopworn reactionary doctrine
of seniority to compel the selection of a.
man of thu type of the late Senator Aldrich
o. the late Senator Penrose as chairman of
this committee. @
1.-THE shopworn reactionary doctrine Of
seniority" in the United States Senate is
heritage of the days of Eastern domination,
and it was good thing so long as it served
CuO uuduCldl anu I'LL uSLIldlr uLGl SSLS VI LA5
East. But now that "oirt farmer" and
member O. the bipartisan agricultural bloc.
about to fall heir to the Craftsmanship OF
the COMMITTEES, it is most atroclous.
Porter j.. McCumber, OF North Dakota, is
the "dirt farmer to whom che East takes
exception, because, so far as can be observ-
e. he is not representative of the preda-
tory interests that have here otorG con-
trolled the Finance committee and shaped
the taxation of the Nation
Mr.. McCumber is ompletlng his fourth
term of se~ ice in the United States Senate,
and as MT. Seibold admits, personally, he
is a man of very high character, scholarly.
eloquent in debate pains"aking and
methodical legislator, especially distinguish
ed among his associates as the only man in
public life who can split the word it into
two syllables.''
We are informed by Mr. Seibold that the
agricultural bloc' already has made itself
power, and has wrung protests from the
President of the United States, which ap-
parently have fallen upon deaf ear and pro-
v.k derision ''rathc4 than an appreciation
of the responsibility to the country of the
organizers of the bloc that has elbowed the
arrog CANT Anti-Saloon League out of control
of Congress-"
From Mr. Seibold we gather that the
membership of the "bloc" does not COM
only twenty-five Senators, who hold the
balance of power ana are thus enabled to
enforce their will upLp a majority, or block
all legislation.
1.-THE bloc, he says, els nicely balanced
between the two parties, there being eleven
Democrats and eleven Republicans holding
cards as charter members. The Republicans
are: Kenyon Qa.) McNary lOre.), Norris
(Neb.), Cameron (Ariz), Cummins (Ia.),
Gooaing Qdaho), Har ,eld (Okla.) Ladd IN.
d., Lenroot (Wis), McCumber IN. d. and
La Toilette (Wis.).
'The Democratic members of the bloc
are Smith Is. CO., Ashurst tAriz.), Cara
way (Ark.), Dial IS. CO., Harris (Ga.),
Heflin (Ala.,, Kendricl; (Wyo.), Overman
IN. CO., Ransdell (La.), Fletcher (Fla.) and
Jones IN. M"
unable to get excited over the agricultural
bloc 1t seems to that it's members are
well within their rights, and SO far as we
have been able to ascertain they have made
no unreasonable legislative demands. They
are asking and demanding simply that the
farmers of the country be afforded the same
measure of consideration in legislative mat
tiers that has heretofore been accorded other
interests. They are seeking legislation that
will better enable thu agricultural interests
to help themselves. and are asking no
bounties or special .vors at the hands of
the national government.
1t has been urged repeatedly that party
government is threatened by the existence
O." the bloc. There is nothing in the con-
tcntion. Party government will survive just
as long as the parties demonstrate by their
acts that they are seeking to serve the coun-
try as the country deserves to be served. The
existence of bipartisan bloc will help to
keep the parties on their mettie and keep
them from becoming the vehicles for serving
only special or selfish interests.