Evening star., 1923-07-25
DEMOCRATS TO rum
NEXT u. S. SENATE
Survey Shows Hand
Strengthened by Situation
involving Radicals.
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

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 tho organization Of the new Sem
ate in December will proceed along
lines laid down by them.
Committee chairmanships will not
go to the democrats. but will be die
tated by them. The democrats can
upset any plans that may be made
by the conservative republicans. and
II the appointment of committees is
carried to the floor of the Senate, as
now seems inevitable, the democrats
VIII be Nall powerful in the assign
ment or members. for In floor fight
the democrats have right TO vote
on the republican members of a COM
mlttee as well as on the democratic.
Inc democrats expect not only to
ne In commaia of every situation
arising on the floor of the Senate
Wen, and every one who knows any-
th:ng about legislation at the Capi-
tol KNOWS that virtually every i'm
portaht decision is made behind
lhe closed doors of committee rooms
Power In Committees.
Inc new Senate committees will be
mace up or nine republicans and
seven democrats. Among the repub-
lican members of such important com
mittees as finance, interstate com
merce and foreign relations, there
VIII be at least a scattering Of pro-
sresSlyes and radicals. La Toilette
ana his followers are going to fight
Tor majority of the republican
places. But in any event the demo-
Gratis Will need the assistance of only
one so-called republican absolutely to
piock or command committee action
:, The conservative or old line repub-
licanS are depending upon democratic
assistance to maintain the traditions
OF the Senate in giving the chairman :
snip OF the more important commit
tees TO the senior republican member
of the committee.
The progressive and radical repub-
licans are depending upon democratic
assistance to upset all the old tradi-
tons, and to turn the committees up
side down.
Strange as it may seem both repub-
lican factions are likely to get the
assistance they crave.
The democrats will fight to MAIN
tain the old system of doling out
committee chairmanships. and fur
thermore they will undoubtedly 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 con-
tinue, for they say they expect to
have full majority control of the
Senate within the next two years
and viii then desire to organize the
committees along the old lines.
Thrive ON "Ructfons.-
But the democrats are entirely out
of sympathy with the old guard re-
publican plans to pack" the COM
mitees with conservatives They will
aid and abet the progressives in stir
ring up all the trouble possible.
Democracy thrives on "ructions" with
in the republican fold. The possibility
nnIIs IN success isst at the president
upon the split within the republican
ranks and naturally as this split Is
more In evidence in the Senate than
any other place, the democrats will
ilne themselves up at times with
both republican factions. In this
way they expect to show the in
capacity of the republican majority
In the Senate, as now constituted. to
conduct the public business
The La Toilette followers will fight
rule, despite the fact that the rad
ical senator from Wisconsin is the
ranking member of both the finance
and the interstate commerce COM
mittees and in the ordinary course
! of events might expect to be elevated
to the chairmanship of one or the
other OF these important Legislative
well that if Senator La Toilette
should come up for the chairmanship
OF either committee, under the SEN
iorfty 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.
Old Hands mt Wheel.
The democrats are further strength
ened 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 lis but one democratic
vacancy. Only John Sharp Williams OF
democratic side of the table, and he
retired Voluntarily Senator Simmons
| of North Carolina will continue to
/ lead the democratic forces and will
have the say as to whether or not
there shall be any futher tariff legis-
lation at the coming session of Con-
gresS.
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 Congress
! Coming on the eve of a presidential
! year, the session will be governed