New-York tribune., 1922-11-13
Mccormick Writes Lodge
Asking Abolition of the
Seniority Systen and
Recognition for Liberals
Would Strip Old
Guard of Power
Effort to Gain Control Of
Party Seen; Illinoisan
Close to Revolt i'm West

By Carter Field

Copyright. 1929. New York Tribune Inc.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12.-Immediate
Progressive control of the Senate--ard
through 1t of the Republican. party
was practically demanded of Republi-
can Leader Henry Cabot Lodge in
letter from Senator Medil McCor-
mick made public tonight.
The words of the Mccormick letter
are soft, but underlying them is big
stick Of extreme hardness. He speaks
mildly Of steering committee in SYM
pathy with the majority of the partyvs
members in the Senate, and of aboli-
tion of the seniority rule with regard
to committee chairmanships.
The effect of his words, if carried
out, would be to strip the old line
Republicans now occupying the seats
Of the mighty in the Senate of their
power, and to lay the foundation for
q control OF the next Republican con-
vention, which would put most of the
present so-called leaders ON the shelf
Both Parties in Senate's Grin
The real control Of both the Re-
publican and Democratic parties for a
long time now has reposed in the SEN
ate. This concentration of power be-
came more noticeable right after 1918.
Wheh the so-called Senate olgarchy
forced the issue on which the 1920
campaign was fought and nominateS
Warren G.. Harding, one of it's num-
ber, for President.
The move just made by Senator Nc
Cormick is the opening gun of a cam.
paign to strip the old line leaders Of
| their power, but shrewd observers here
believe that Mr.. Mccormick stole a
march on his progressives and radical
colleagues when he fred it. He has
known their ideas, however, through
the campaign, which he passed mostly
in the Middle West, where the chief
! progressive and radical victories were
| won.
Mccormick was almost alone Of all
the Republican Senators in wishing To
extend aid during the campaign to Lynn
j. Frazier, the Nonparuisan League ex-
Governor Of North Dakota, who was
elected Senator last Tuesday to fill the
seat of Porter J. McCumber. Almost
every other Republican of national
Importance was privately praying that
j. F. I. O'Connor, the Democratic con-
seryative nominee against Frazier,
would be elected. The same crowd of
political leaders in North Dakota
fought for the election Of Governor
Nestos, Republican, and O'Connor,
Democrat. Buttons with the pictures
OF these two mcn-probably the first
campaign buttons ever bearing pic
lures Of both Democrat and a Re-
publican nominee--were widely worn.
| Mccormick Loud for Progressiyes
Mccormick was party Progressive
in 1912, and has ben loud ever since
wing of the Republican party, after
,ts return to the fold in 1916, should
be given larger voice.
1t was generally accepted in Wash
ington tonight that McCormick's ref
erence in his letter to Lodge of Senate
committee chairmen who should be re-
moved to give place to men in sympa-
| thy with the new political tides would
include, among other things, that a
! liberal should be named chairman of
the Finance Committee instead of
Reed Smoot, who, owing to the defeat
| of Senator McCumber, would fall
| heiY to that chairmanship through
seniority.
| There is much curiosity on the other
hand about what Mr.. McCormick's idea
| is about the Senate Interstate Com
merce Committee. Senator Cummins
now the chairman of that committee
is in poor health, and has been most
unhappy because of the violent man.
ncr In which many successful candi-
| dates this year attacked the Esch-
Cummins railroad law, among then
Smith w. Brookharr, VINO was elected
| y tremendous majority in Mr.. Cum
mins's own state of Iowa. AS q result
Of the defeat of Senator Townsend, OF
Michigan, on that same issue among
others, Robert M La Toilette ranks
| rext on that committee.
The picture of La Toilette as chair
man of the Interstate Commerce Com
mittee is one to cause cold chills in
Wall Street and in Main Street as well
Bi-Party Bloc Might Stop 1t
There is some doubt as to whether
Mr.. Mccormick desires this change
and the picture of the Democrats in
the Senate joining the Conservative Re-
publicans to prevent it is not improb-
tcontlnued on next pags)