Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-29
DEMOCRATS WARY
OF JOINING HANDS
WITH PR0CRESS|VES
Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
40S Evans Building.
BY THEODORE TILLEI

Ii A11GODOIGL A1l41IlLI
tea WASHINGTON, D. C.-Democrat
ic leaders or the house will reject
all overtures from radical or pro
gressive Republican groups that the
Democratic minority and the indie
pendent or insurgent majority mem
bers combine to elect speaker
other than Frederick H. Gillett, OF
Massachusetts. 1t is understood that
hints and overtures have come from
progressive Republican sources that
Fins j. Garrett, floor leader of the
minority, be elected speaker. This
combination, of course, would carry
with it an understanding about pro.
gressive representation on commit.
tees.
Representative Garrett, however,
does not want the speakership in the
sixty-eighth congress. He and other
Democratic leaders are agreed that
the Republicans should organize the
house and assume full legislative
responsibility for the next two years
~of congress. The Democrats are will
ing to talk business with the Re-
publican insurgents on such matters
as revision of taxation and the tariff,
land the solution of the agricultural
problem, and no doubt there will be
/ considerable legislative log-rolling.
The Democrats are not willing to
enter a combination to elect one Of
sssthefr number as speaker of house
nominally Republican.
a.s Probable Outcome
The upshot Of the progressive
move to block organization of the
+ai1
probably will result in this: The
progressives and Democrats will be
-given more liberal representation
on all the "key'' committeeman
that is what they are really after.
The regular Republican organization
will control the floor of the house,
The speakership and the majority
leadership which will go, it seems,
to Mr.. Gillett and Mr.. Longworth,
respectively.
The house progressives, including
the ia Toilette group" from Wis
consin and possibly a dozen or so
less radical insurgents from the mid
lie west, will put forward Repre-
sentative Henry A. Cooper, veteran
member from Wisconsin, as their
candidate for speaker. There is no
probability of the election of Mr..
Cooper, but his candidacy will give
The G.. o. P. insurgents opportunity
10 make a show of strength and to
throw a scare into the Old Guard. 4"
After n1aneuvering around for a day
Or so the progressives and Demo.
erats will get concessions as to com
nittee places and Speaker Gillett
will then get the necessary majority
20 keep him in the chair.
Concessions Inevitable
With the Republicans having a
zeal majority of less than twenty
n the house-because a group of
so-called Republicans cannot be kept
= on the reservation-the Old Guard
inevitably must make concessions.
Democrats are naturally elated
about the split in Republican ranks
and will encourage the insurgents
IN a number of ways, but not includ-
ing organization of the house with
= Democratic speaker. The Demo
cratic reasoning is that the partys
chances in 1924 will be much bet
Ger if the Republicans ostensibly
control both branches of congress
and are held responsible for all mis-
fakes. If the Republican party can
not control it's own forces, then the
Democrats say it is no affair of the
opposition party.
Complexion of House
Latest figures compiled show that
Che next house will comprise 225
Republicans, 205 Democrats,
Farmer-Labor, 1 Socialist, L indie
pendent, vacancy in the Seventh
kentucky and another in the Third
Mississippi district. Among the 225
listed as Republicans are admittedly
/ score of middle western members
Who cannot be tagged as regular"
, md whose support is uncertain on
my administration question or poll
~ and on such major issues as tax
ltion, tariff revision, transportation
and farm relief. That is why the
Republican majority doesn't mean
what figures would indicate and why
Concessions in organization and leg
Station must be yielded by the Old
Guard