Evening star., 1923-12-13

will not be resumed in the Senate
until next week.
In the meantime every effort will
he made, 1t is said, by the republicans
to reach some solution of the situa-
ton which has tied the Senate into
unusual political knots. In we'll in
formed democratic quarters the sug-
gestion was put forward today that
the chance fer the election OF Senator
Smith. democrat, had departed, that
TO forestall such an outcome the re-
publicans would redouble their efforts
to get an adjustment before another
ballot was taken.
No Reconciliation Plan.
On the other hand, no plan has yet
been advanced that seems likely to
bring the two groups OF republicans
together The progresSives insist
that they will never agree to the
election of Cummins-author of the
present transportation act-and the
conservatives say they will not agree
to the election of Senator La Toilette
Of Wisconsin. the ranking member of
the committee on the republican side
after Senator Cummins. 1t would
seem that only by agreeing on some
third republican senator would IL he
possible TO bring about an adjust
ment of the republican differences
There were intimations today that
If an agreement were not reached
still another of the progressive
group would break and cast his
vote for Smith at the next meeting
of the Senate, and unless there were
some democratic senators other than
Bruce failing to vote for Smith, tho
latter's election would follow.
After adjournment Senator Brook
hart. republican. Iowa. who started
the inSurgent vote for Smith, said il
looked as though there had been 4
secret bipartisan understanding, be
cause here is a democrat who voted
for Smith every time until his vote
would have elected him, and then he
voted for Senator Cummins."
Denying that he had had any un-
fore he changed his vote, Senator
Bruce. in a formal statement, de-
clared he had acted solely upon his
own initiative.
why Vote Changed.
II changed my vote" he said, ''be-
cause it seemed to me that the demo-
cratic members OF the Senate had
at which they were merely playing
into the hands of the La Toilette
Magnus Johnson Brookhart radical
element, which, it soon became ap-
parent, were opposing Senator Cum
Minis for no reason in the world but
because he is, perhaps, the most con-
spicuous representative in Congress
of the sounder and saner public
views relating to the railroads and
the vital popular interests tha'
cluster about them.
when | learned just before the
Senate met today that the La Folletts
group were about to shift to Senator
Smith under circumstances that II
seemed to me would make the eleC
tion of Senator Smith not demo-
cratic triumph, but rather a signifi+
cant one for Senator La Toilette ana
his following, / decided that the in
evitable split between the conserya5
tive and radical members of the Sen.
ate. had come, and that it was ting
for me to obey my profoundest in
stincts and convictions.
'As far as am concerned, 1T migh
as we'll be understood now as later
no boat has room enough to haIH
Senator La Toilette and his adhersrft
and me-"
Other Difficulties Slight.
There were some indications toda3
that with the fight for the. conlHIR
tee chairmanship ended there w6hlh
be little difficulty in organizing tho
Senate. Senator Brookhart predicted
that the republican insurgents would
not join with the democrats in the
effort to force an election of a Presi-
dent pro tenn. of the Senate. an office
which also is held by Senator. Cum
Minis.
I'VE accept the old Guard inter-
probation of the rules of the Senate
under which Senator Cummins is
holding over as President pro tenn,
said Senator Brookhart. That la
settled question and we shall vote
against any attempt to open it.