Evening star., 1923-12-01
PARTY HEADSFEAR
CHAOS IN CONGRESS
Point Out insurgents May De-
feat ORGANIZATION Plans
at Outset.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Thirteen months ago the American
people elected a new Congress. Next
week the new membership takes of
flee. If the mood and desire of the
electorate is today the same as 1t
was thirteen months ago, the man.
date may be one thing. II conditions
have changed 1t must be another.
Insurgency has broken out in the
majority party. The insurgents have
laid down series Of demands which
they think represent the will of the
people. The regulars are wondering
whether the country would approve
OF a deadlock In the organization of
Congress and an obstruction at the
very start Of the session. For the
regulars are not in a position to con-
cede to the insurgents what they
want. The insurgents want repre-
sentation on important committees
80 that they can frame legislation in
alne with their own extreme views.
than twenty, but they hold the bal
ance or power, because the republican
majority over the democrats is slen-
der and a coalition of insurgent
dHu all democrats
overthrow republican rule.
Contrndicts Facts.
Such a coalition is unlikely. how
ever. for the reason that the demo-
cratic party itself cannot afford 10
subscribe to the insurgents program.
one plank OF which is being inter-
preted by the regulars as meaning a
Illustration of "a Tn
announcement made by the insur-
gents. there is a plan for tax reduc-
tion on. smaller incomes, but no pro-
vision for raising the revenue which
would be taken off the lower in
comes. The present surtax rate of
so per cent is not producing the
needed revenue. but is steadily LOS
ing money. In a nutshell The in.
surgent program Is contradictory Of
the facts as presented by the Treas
ury Department.
The insurgents also want to upset
the seniority rule by which men Who
have been in service before in Congress
are promoted to the regular commit
tee places Cnquestion1biy The in
surgents will get some concessions
md their maneuve:s OF the nrment
are calculated to get them something,
but il their program is carried 10
the extremity Of holding up the or
ganization of the House and delay
ng the delivery Of the Presiden"s
frst message, they viii Gnd de-
termined group Of republican leaders
ready to carry the fgh. on IL it takes
all the month of December.
Lonswerth Suggested.
The predictions being generally
made today were that the insurgents
would not go to extremes but no one
can tell what will develop between
..Ft
when the formal task OF reorganiza-
ton begins. Representative Nicolas
Longworth of Ohio. slated 10 be ma
jority leader of the house. told this
correspondent today he would make
every effort to meet the insurgents
half way but that he could not see
how any special arrangements could
be made to treat one set of repubIl.
cans any differently than any other.
simply because they have formed a
minority bloc. He is inclined TO leave
it 10 the republican conference to de-
eide. In the contest for Important
places on committees. a break down
of the seniority rule means scram-
ble-every man for himself. Agree-
ments and understandings, individual
barter for places, involves indefinite
delay. Only rule that applies equal
ly to all can save a situation like the
present
Meanwhile, Senator Robert La Toilette.
leader of the insurgent forces in Con-
gress, who wieids the greatest influence
with the minority bloc inside the repub-
lican party In the House, is confined to
his home. The report now is that he
has influenza, but he has been secluded
80 long and even his friends see SO little
of him that it is runored the aged sem
ator from Wisconsin is net physically
strong enough TO be the important fac
ers had hoped. He is nearly seventy
years old. He has fought legislative
battles nearly all his life. He never.
lative situation in Congress such as he
holds today.
Split on Radical Lines.
The title Of the group which is cup
porting La Toilette will probably be "in-
surgent republican" =:
There has been tendency to cali
them "progressives," but on analysis
along radical" and extremist" lines
than anything else. with the present
Gay conservatives anxious to be
known as the party Of progress. In
deed. the regulars think the radicals"
have set out to obstrutt progress and
that If the latter do not wish to assist
the republican party In making a
constructive program, they could
select no better tactics than to force
Congress into chaos and dIsorganiza-
ton at the very outset.
The next few weeks will see de-
termined efforts on the part of the
republicans TO restore party harmony.
The democrats will look on. anxious
to take advantage of misplays and
dissension on the part OF their op-
ponents, but II the radicals believe
they will get the entire support Of
the democratic party they are mis-
taken, for among the democrats the
leaders are inclined to be conserva-
time, and as for tax reduction, they
will not be found as extreme as are
the insurgent republicans.
The situation Is disquieting one
on all sides-an unprecedented mix
up analogous only to the rebellion IN
the House in 1910 over Cannonism
The objection then was that legisla.
ton was being blocked by arbitrary
rules. Those rules have. been
changed. The question now arises as
to which group is responsible for
blocking progress-the regulars or
the insurgents. The country will
know the answer in less than a fort
night and the issues of 1924 may be
made on the basis of what develops
in the immediate future.
Copyright. 1928,