The Washington herald., 1922-01-02
His Death Marks Rapid
Changes in Power in
u. S. Senate.
GROUPS ARE NOW
IN ASCENDANCY
Illness of Year Affected
Senator's Mastery
Of Events.
By MARK SULLIVAN.

1t will be said that Penrose's
passing makes little difference, be-
cause he had been Ill and more or
less out Of things for two years
off and on anyhow. But that will
not be true What is true rs that
Penrose slipped out of things two
years ago. that his slipping out
made a very great difference. and
that his death merely makes his
passing complete and creates an
occasion for pointing out how much
u means.
1t is not merely that Penrose was
the last of the barons. 1t is not
merely that there Is not a Senator
left who Is also in any sense boss
OF his State. 1t Is not merely that
there is hardly any such thing left
in American politics as State
wide boss, in the Senate or out of
IL. What Penrose's death signifies
Is that the Senate is today a COM
pletely changed body. utterly diff
ferent from the picture of II which
the public has inherited from the
past.
Public Knows Him Not.
Six months ago, the State Of
Pennsylvania was represented in
the Senate by two men who. what
ever you might think OF their poll
cies. were among the strongest
men of their generation. Today,
and until Penrose's successor Is ap-
pointed, Pennsylvania is represent
ed in the Senate by one man whose
name the public doesn't know,
Neither this successor of Knox nor
the successor Of Penrose can pos
sibly fll their shoes, even II Penn
| syIvania should take pains to send
| good men and even under the most
favorable circumstances otherwise,
until they have had several years
Of experience and enough time to
reach, under the seniority rules OF
/ the Senate. positions OF power and
responsibility.
This case OF Pennsylvania Is ex-
treme;rbut ft merely happeAr tv be
conspicuous at the moment. Much
| the same sort of change has come TO
the other States gradually with
out the public noticing 1t There
are a few strong individuals in the
Senate, but there is no group of
strong men who act together who
have a sense OF collective respon'
sibility for running the country, OF
who actually do run IL. The phrase
that Cox made a slogan in the last
| Presidential campaign, THE Senat,
| oligarchy." is a joke. There Is nc
such thing. There is no Senator or
| group of Senators who, either
through strength OF personality oil
by virtue of official authority. ar,
able to crack the party whip o.
otherwise enforce discipline and
achieve collective action. The Sen
ate today has little more discipline
than a town meeting.
Now Has Three Groups
The big Republican majority &.
divided roughly into three groups
| The. farm bloc, composed of Ther
like Kenyon and Capper. the rem
nants Of the old guard, like LodC,
and Curtis; and a middle groun,
| group led by men like Mccormick
and Lenroot. What the Senate hap
pens to do about any particular
matter is determined by the loos,
and shifting attachments Of mon a.
the outer edges of these groups.
Specifically, Penrose's death vii
bring an important change in tn
Craftsmanship of the importan
Finance Committee. which ha
charge OF taxation and the tariff
His successor will be McCumber, o
North Dakota. As the representa-
tive Of an almost purely agricui
tural State, McCumber can be ex
pccted to favor most OF the policie
identified with the farm bloc, al
though he has never been formal,
identified with that group. In poin
OF fact as regards the pendini
tariff bill. Penrose, in the weakness
brought about Nby his illness, ha,
already told the farm bloc the,
could have whatever tariff the,
wanted This was the fourth o
fifth compromise that he woul
have scorned TO make in his prime
When the emergency tariff was u,
some months ago, Penrose let II e
through, although privately he de
described II as pure bunk"
Deplored the situation.
This weakness of Penrose. du
wholly TO his Illness. has been
great embarrassment to the party
He kept the seat OF office only b,
yielding its essence:~ and man,
things went through which
strong chairman would hav
stopped. The other party leader
Continued on Pa0e Too.