The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-01-12
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
BY J. IL Jones.

BY J. Is Jones.
Senator Porter J. McCumber of
North Dakota will succeed the late
Senator Boise Penrose as chairman OF
the finance committee of the senate.
This is the most powerful position in
the legislative machinery of the gov
eminent. Measures that affect the
tariff and taxation pass through this
committee, and it has always been the
practice of this particular group to
practically re-write the bills along
those lines after they have gone
through the lower house.
The farm bloc thus becomes more
than we a torment to the republicans
who believe with the president in
party responsibility" McCumber is
by reason of geography and self-inter-
est a champion Of everything that the
farm bloc stands for. Senator Penrose
was for his political party, first, last
and all the time" He detested the
farm bloc. But he was so astute a
politician that he consented to the de-
mands of the farm group in order to
assure success for the tax bill that
was passed this winter.
The so-called "old guard" politicians
in congress are still asserting that
something must be done to control the
farm bloc" and Chairman Tess of the
republican congressional committee
has decreed that there must be a cam
paign Of education which oracular re-
mark he follows with a column or more
of advice upon the subject. In all
probability the Fess Campaign of edu-
cation will wind up by the selection
Of a new chairman Of the republican
committee.
Everybody in Washington knows
very well that the farm group in con-
gress has enough votes to pass any
bill through congress that is desired
by the administration. "Ay, there's
the rub" because their votes are like
wise sufficient in number to kill any
bill that they may opAose.
The farm bloc is composed of some
of the best men in both branches of
congress who believe that the agricul.
tural interests of the country should
come first in legislation. That is their
simple program; and it works it's way
into nearly every piece of legislation
of national Importance that comes up.
Members Of the farm bloc say that
they are not original in their demands,
and they calmly meet all ~challengers
with a nonchalance that proclaims:
What are you going to do about it?"
Ihat e not mean that they are not
willing to cooperate with their fellow
republicans; but it does mean that in
every case the interests If the farm
ers, whether in foreign or domestic
commerce, taxation, transportation,
marketings, credits, or any other ac-
tivity, must be recognized in every bill
before it will receive the o. X. OF the
statesmen who hold the balance of
power in congress.
Is there a motorist who has not, on
some suburban road, beheld coming to-
ward him rapidly a %contraption with
but a single light, that proved on the
closeup to be a full-sized motor car?
Sometimes the light is on the off side,
sometimes on the near. In the latter
case, well and good. You merely get
the impression of a motorcycle taking
up an undue amount Of the road. But
when the lonely illumination Is on the
starboard side, the deity of evil luck
must chortle at the mighty good
chance Of a sideswipe that will divest
one a or the other of a wheel or two
and a fender.
The reason for the number of cars
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