Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-28
EVEN COMMITTEE
CONTROL Of c. D. P.
APPEARS DOOMED
BY ROBERT T.. SMALL
Especial Wire Service TO The journsl.)
(Cnnu ri 1909


WASHINGTON, July 26.-The
Democrats will control the senate
during the next session of congress-
There has been much talk of the
balance of power resting with the
radical Republicans and the two
farmer-labor members. After a
careful survey of the situation and
taking into account the state of
mind of the radicals. the Democrats
have decided that they hold the
whip hand and the organization of
the new senate in December will
proceed along lines laid down by
them.
Committee chairmanships will not
go to the Democrats, but will be
dictated by them. The Democrats
can upset any plans that may be
made by the conservative Republic
ans and If the appointment of COM
mittees is carried to the floor of the
senate, as now seems inevitable,
the Democrats will be all-powerful
in the assignment of members for
in a floor fight the Democrats have
right to vote on the Republican
members Of committee as well as
on the Democratic.
Committee Control
The Democrats expect not onlv
to be in command of every situation
arising on the floor of the senate,
but to control committee actions as
well, and every one who knows any
thing about legislation at the capt.
tai knows that virtually every IN
portant decision is made behind the
closed doors of committee rooms.
The new senate committees will
be made up Of nine Republicans
and seven Democrats. Among the
republican members OF such i'm
portant committees as finance, in
terstate commerce and foreign re-
lations. there will be at least a
scattering of progressives and rad.
icals.
La Toilette and his followers are
going to fight for a majority of the
Republican places. But In any event
the Democrats will need the as
sistance of only one so-calied Re
publican absolutely to block or to
command committee action
Tradition Threatened
The conservative or old line Re
publicans are depending upon Demo
cratic assistance to maintain the
traditions of the senate III giving
the. craftsmanship of the more inn
portant committees to 3he senior
Republican member Of the com
mittee.
The Progressive and Radical Re
publicans are depending upon Demo.
cratic assistance to upset all the old
traditions and to- turn the commit.
tees upside down.
Strange as it may seem both Pc
publican factions are likely to get
the assistance they crave.
The Democrats will fight to man
tain the old system of doing out
committee chairmanships, and fur
thermore they undoubtedly will as
sist the radicals in their fight for
recognition in the committee mem
berships. In other words, the Demo
Gratis want the seniority rule to
continue, for they say they. expect
to have full majority coutrol of the
senate within the next two years,
and then will desire to organize the
committees along the old lines.
Will Fan "RuctiOns"
But the Democrats are entirely
out of sympathy with the old guard
Republican plans to pack" the
committees with conservatives. They
will aid and abet the Progressives in
stirring up all the trouble possible.
Democracy thrives on 'ructions"
within the Republican fold.
The possibility of Democratic sue
cess at the presidential polls in 1924
depends largely upon the split with
in the Republican ranks and natural
Iy, as this split is more in evidence
in the senate than any other place,
the Democrats will line themselves
up at times with both Republican
factions. In this way they expect
to show the incapacity of the Re
publican majority in the senate, as
now constituted, to conduct the pub
lie business.
The La Toilette followers will fight
desperately to upset the seniority
rule despite the fact that the radical
senator from Wisconsin is the rank
ing member of both the finance and
the Interstate commerce committees,
and in the ordinary course of events
might expect to be elevated to the
craftsmanship of one or the other OF
these important legislative bodies.
The radicals know perfectly well
that If Senator La Toilette should
come up for the Craftsmanship of
either committee under the seniority
rule, the conservative elements of
the party would forget all about
precedent and tradition and vote him
down and out if they had the power
to do so.
Breaks Go to Democrats
The Democrats are strengthened
further in the new senate by having
so many old hands at the committee
wheels. Whereas five Republican
vacancies exist on the finance com.
mittee, there is but one Democratic
vacancy. Only John Sharp Williams,
of Mississippi, will be missing from
the Democratic side of the table, and
he retired voluntarily. Senator Sim
mons, of North Carolina, will con-
tinue to lead the Democratic forces,
or not there shall be any further
ILL lS1II4Oil dI Liz COIAllIS SCS'
sion of congress.
At the present writing the Demo
Gratis believe the tariff is working so
poorly they would like to have it
stay on the statute books until after
the next presidential election.
All of the Democratic plans call
for a do nothing" session of con-
gress. Coming on the eve of presi.
DENTAL Noar the session will ha gov