Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-15
COTTON ENTHUSIAST
MAY HEAD HOUSE
RAIL COMMITTEE
Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
40s Evans Building.
BY THEODORE TILLER

L
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-What
of Ellison D. Smith, of South Caro-
lima, the potential chairman of the
senate committee on interstate COM
merge and the onl ySmith now left
in a senate that used to have on
it's roll Mark Smith, of Arizona;
Hoke Smith, of Georgia; William
Alden Smith, OF Michigan; John
Walter Smith, OF Maryland, and
Smith, Of South Carolina, who still
carries on? There is a chance, not
certainty by any means, that as
the senate deadlock continues
Smith, of South Carolina, will be
elected next week as chairman Of
the interstate commerce committee
which will handle the railroad legis-
lation of the siXty-eighth congress.
Railroad legislation just now is of
primary economic and industrial inn
portance, but there creeps into it
political tinge as the national cleo
tons approach. Therefore comes the
inquiry:
What kind OF fellow is Ellison
Smith, Of South Carolina, who may
be elected chairman Of q senate COM
mittee Of a Republican congress be
cause the Republicans are in fuss
among themselves? There isn't a
word in the autobiography Of Sena-
tor Smith that indicates that he is
shark on railroad legislation. King
Cotton runs though his auto
biography and through his life. He
is better Versed perhaps on the
plight OF the cotton farmer, the
ravages of the boil weevil, the effect
Of a tariff on sulphate of ammonia
used for fertilizer manufacture than
upon the twists and turns of de-
mand for revision Of railroad legis-
lation as it exists today.
/ Nevertheless, although Senator
Smith is known about the capitol
as a cotton enthusiast" or a cot
ton bug" according to the slang and
slant OF the commentator, he has
worked himself up 10 the ranking
minority place on the senates in
! terstate commerce committee. Both
hard work and the seniority rule
| figure in this advancement.
Some Democrats Oppose Him
| Democrats Of the senate are now
J man of interstate commerce because
he is the ranking Democrat on the
committee and the Republican in
surgents. aided by Senator Wheeler,
| Democrat, of Montana, precipitated
the issue of the retirement Of Sena-
| tor Cummins, regular Republican
and the present chairman. The SEN
ate deadlock has continued for three
| days and may be untangled next
Monday or later. Many Of the Dem
ocrats now voting for Senator Smith
as chairman do not want him to get
| the place. 1t is foolish politics. they
say, for any Democrat to head a
| senate committee which he cannot
| control and which belongs to the OPP
posite party temporarily in power.
! With railroad legislation uppermost
| in public mind. why should the
! Democrats take the buck" and
place Smith at the head Of this SEN
ate committee dominated by the OPP
! position? Senator Smith voted
against the Esch-C ummins transport
tation act which is the main cause
of the insurger- Republican assault
upon Senator Cummins. He is still
! opposed to that act.
Senator Smith has a fair grasp Of
railroad problems but he has special
! lied on cotton and the agriculture
Of the south. In addition to his in
! terstate commerce committee as
signment in the past congress, he
| had a. place on agriculture and for
estry. manufacturers and patents. He
! has worked up to ranking minority
! place on interstate commerce be-
cause he has been in the senate
since 1909 and his constituency has
returned him since. His term will
not expire until March 8. 1927.
Typical Southerner
! In appearance and in aggressive
ness. Senator Ellison Smith is
| typical southerner. He is florid in
face and wears a brown and bristling
/ mustache. He gets excited in de-
| bate, particularly when the interests
| OF the cotton states are involved. He
/ can become more excited over rail
road, freight rates, standards. re-
! turns and guarantees and govern
ment ownership, but not to the ex-
tent when the boil weevil is due for
4 casttgatioH. His speciality is cot
| ton, not RI nd rates. and his au-
tobiogra ply officially records that he
was one OF the principal figures in
the organization of the Southern
Cotton association at New Orleans
! in January. 1908, was made field
agent and organizer of this move
ment IN which capacity he served
from January, 1905, to June 1908 4"
In the latter year. he was nom;-
mated and elected to the United
! States senate and has been here
since-frequentl talking cotton ard