Evening star., 1922-07-09
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
TINE elders are passing out of
Congress. emphasizing the
need for special care on the
part of the voters to pick ex-
ceptionally well-fitted men in the fall
elections. and for the majority party
to use extreme caution in reorganiz-
Ing the national legislature.
Men who have held the helm steady
for years are going-such men as
Uncle Joe" Cannon, now rounding
out his forty-sfx years. which makes
him the patriarch for service of any
man who ever was in Congress, and
who was Gear" in the days when the
Speaker had real power; Joe" Ford
ney of Michigan, who, having achieved
his ambition Of writing his name as
author of a tariff bill, is quitting at
the end of twenty four years con-
tinuous service, and Representative
William A. Rodenberg of Illinois.
known as the best orator in the
House, who has declined reelection
at the end of twenty years service
Add to these House Leader Mon
twenty-six years; Representative
Simeon D. Fess of Ohio, for ten years
a member, who has just resigned as
chairman of the republican congress
sional committee: Representative Pat
Kelley of Michigan. ten years in
service. who handled the Navy appro-
priation bill. and Representative
Frank L. Greene Of Vermont, twelve
years a member Of the House. all of
whom are seeking Senate seats. Do
not overlook Representative Clifford
Ireland of Illinois. chairman of the
committee on accounts, and Repre-
sentative Ira C. Copley of Illinois, a
member Of the ways and means COM
mittee, who are among those defeated
for denomination, and 1t is readily
seen that serious inroads are being
made this year on those who for years
have kept the ship of state on an
even keel.
Speaker Gillett Becomes
Veteran Of House.
The absence Of House members
from Washington. they having gone
back home to work in their own cam
paigns for reelection. focuses atten-
tion on the importance of the Novem-
fortunes and future of the various
candidates, but to the welfare Of the
country.
Right here and now 1t can be said
positively that there will be no drive
or combination powerful enough to
unseat Speaker Gillett, who, with the
outgoing of MIR. Cannon, becomes the
veteran of the House. with thirty
consecutive years to his credit.
The Senate candidacy of House
Leader Mondell opens up the very i'm
portant question, who is to succeed
him as House leader' 1t looks very
much as il Representative Longworth
of Ohio viii be chosen. The reIa-
tionship of the leadership to the
Craftsmanship of the ways and means
committee is involved. With Chair
man Fordney quitting Congress. Rep
resentative William r. Greene of
Iowa Is next in line under the senior
ity rule for chairman. But, again,
there is talk Of breaking away from
the seniority rule, as was done in Sc
lecting Representative Martin B.
Madden of Illinois to be chairman of
the appropriations committee. There
is a strong roup who are anxious to
make Longworth chairman of the
ways and means committee 1t is
pointed out that with the tariff bill
out of the way the ways and means
committee may not be as important
in the next Congress. and that Long
worth might well serve in both ca
pacities. The best judgment seems
to be that Longworth will be House
leader and Representative Greene
will succeed to the chairmanship of
ways and means.
LonKworth Regarded
As n Harmonizer.
Longworth Is looked to as leader
because it is believed he could best
harmonic The republican majority.
since even the most sanguine demo-
cratic partisans are not counting on
overthrowing the present record ma
jority of the republicans. Longworth
has strong support from the east,
middle west. west and most of the
northern states.
There is some talk Of the farm
bloc running Representative Sydney
Anderson of Minnesota for leader.
Representative Joe Walsh of Massa.
chusetts is also suggested. 1t does
not look as though either one alone
could defeat Longworth or that a
combination between them could be
made. In other words. 1t seems i'm
be made to beat Longworth. He has
the support of the old leaders. such
men as Representative James r. Mann