The New York herald., 1922-01-03
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1922.
The Senate Finance Committee

The death of BoIEs PENRosE, who
was head of the important and pow
erful Senate Committee on Finance,
again raises the grave issue of pro
motion by seniority to Congress
chairmanships.
1t is bad enough for a man OF
lesser capacity, breadth of view and
strength to outrank ADLER and
stronger men of clearer and wider
vision simply by virtue Of having
service seniority over them in any
House or Senate committee, what
ever it's consequence in the affairs OF
the country. For such a thing to, be
possible on the committee which is
the greatest OF all the committees In
the Senate, if not in the whole United
States Congress, and whose chairman
is the hardest worked among all the
Senate members, carries the heaviest
responsibilities and should know
more than any other member about
the industries, the businesses and
the economic conditions the coun'
try over, is abhorrent to plain sense
and might be the cause of national
disaster.
Since the days of the great SHERMAN
nearly half century back the chair
men of the Senate Finance Commit.
tee, under Republican control of that
legislative branch of the Government,
have been not merely sound thinkers
and safe lawmakers in respect OF
matters economic and industrial;
they have been giants in national
craftsmanship. They have known no
geographical divisions, recognized no
sectional selfishness and pandered to
no provincial prejudices in work
ing out the economic problems of
the whole nation with tariff meas
ures, tax measures and all measures
going into the national foundations
to make and keep this country OF
self-sustaining productivity, wealth
creation, wealth distribution and
wealth preservation.
And it has naturally followed that
with the vast magnitude Of manu-
featuring, transporting, financing,
insuring and marketing the coun-
try's industrial products centered in
the eastern half of the country the
chairmen OF the Finance Committee
of the Senate have been men of
training, experience and association
in touch with the preponderating in
dustrial, commercial and financial
affairs on the Atlantic side OF the
continent.
If this has been so OF SHERMAN OF
Ohio. MORRILL, of Vermont, ALpRrcH
of Rhode Island and PENRosE OF Penn
sylvania, among the Republicans, it
has been so as well of BAYARD OF
Delaware, VOORHEES, Of Indiana and
SIMMONS of North Carolina, among
the Democrats. But under the semi
ority rule of promotion to commit
tee chairmanships it will come about
that the Craftsmanship of finance in
the Senate will go to Senator
McCuMBER of North Dakota.
Senator McCuMBER has been very
largely active in and devoted to spe.
cial interests and localities, repre-.
senting a very sparse portion Of the
110,00O,000 people and a minute frac.
tion OF the stupendous industry and
wealth of the country. Senator
McCrMBER has been prominently
identified with the regrettable agri-
cultural bloc Senator MCCUMBER.
furthermore, whatever his national
attainments and merits, is not
leader among the economic authori-
ties, the financial geniuses and the
intellectual guides of the Senate. If
any man in the Senate is first and
foremost in respect of ali these quail.
tiles and qualifications he is dis.
tinctly and indubitably Senator REEn
SMooT.
REED SMooT's State is Utah, but
his economic point Of view is uni
versal and his economic work as a
Senator and as citizen is 100 per
cent. national. BY every test Of
what the Senate Committee on
Finance requires in the way OF
knowledge, capacity and general fit
ness in its chairman Senator SMoor
is the single, shining member to be
selected. BY every test Of what the
country needs in the head Of that
great and powerful committee he de-
serves to be selected. BY every test
OF political judgment he ought to be-
selected.
The business interests Of the coun-
try In such an industrial crisis as
this are not going to be satisfied
with anything less than the capacity