Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-01-18
SENATE DEMOCRATS
IN LIVELY CONTEST
OVER LEADERSHIP
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The journal
Copyright. 1928


as lively a contest going on among
the Democrats of the senate for the
position of pninority leader as If i,
were the presidency itself. The race
is close. The friends of Senator
Simmons. of North Carolina, who
Is running against Senator Robin
son, of Arkansas, refuse to concede
the outcome is settled, although Mr.,
Rabinson's managers insist they
Wy 49,.
Careful canvas of the polls made
by both sides would seem to indi-
cate that while the Simmons fol-
lowers claim eighteen of the present
members who will be IN the next SEN
ate as against fourteen for Robin
son, the other side declares two of
the eighteen are not definitely com
mitted and will be for Robinson i'll
the end.
So the conceded vote of both sides
stands at sixteen for Simmons and
fourteen for Robinson, with two
doubtful. The ten newly elected
members will decide the issue. All
sorts of efforts are being made to
commit the new senators to one SIDE
or the other. Two or three private
ly have committed themselves, but
do not wish to say so publicly The
new men are Mr.. Stephens, of MIS-
sissippi. who is likely to be for Sen
ator Robinson, because his col
league. Senator Pat Harrison, is one
of the Robinson managers; Senator
Wheeler. of Montana, who seems IN
clined toward Mr.. Robinson because
his colleague, Senator Walsh, is
candidate for vice chairman on the
Robinson ticket; Senator Nicely, OF
West Virginia, who is outspokenly
for Mr.. Robinson; Senators Cope
land, of New York; Edwards, of New
Jersey: Bruce, of Maryland; Dill, or
Washington; AIayfield, of Texas;
Ferris, of Michigan, and Ralston, OF
Indiana, who have not committed
themselves to either candidate, but
who probably have the final decl-
sion in their hands.
Not Personal Fight
Senator Simmons would have to
get five, and possibly seven, of the |
new members to win. Senator Rob- |
inson needs eight votes and must |
get either two more of the old mem !
bers and six new ones. or else eight !
new members.
The fight is not in any sense per
sonal or bitter. The argument of |
each side is that their candidate will |
be better able to lead militant de-
mocracy in the next two years than |
the other. The Simmons supporters |
are making much of the fact that |
Senator Robinson was one of the |
trainers of the Esch Cummins law |
and voted for it, a circumstance |
which they say will not commend it |
self to the labor people. Many Of |
the new senators were elected on |
their campaign against the Esch- |
Cummins law, so the Simmons CO. |
horts say it would be a mistake to |
elect as leader a man who helped
frame the bill. To offset this, the |
Robinson managers are pointing to |
the speeches made by the Arkansas |
senator on the Dougherty injunction |
and they predict organized labor will |
be satisfied with the selection of |
Mr.. Robinson. The Simmons group |
is making much of the fact that |
majority of the old members are |
in favor of selecting as leader the |
North Carolina senator, while, the |
other group is arguing that Senator |
Oscar Underwood, the present leader |
of the Minority, will vote for Sena- |
tor Robinson.
And so the fight goes on. Both |
sides are not losing a trick in bring |
ing to the attention of the new
senators the many accomplishments
of the respective candidates. For
one thing, Senator Simmons con-
spicuous part in the work of the |
farm bloc is being brought for
ward as an asset, together with his |
aggressive fight against the Repub-
Ilcan tariff and tax laws.
Tammany's Choice
Tammany is playing an important
part in tibet game. The new sena-
tor from New York, Royal S. Cope
land, was originally thought to be in
favor of Senator Robinson because
the latter campaigned in New York
for Al Smith and the Democratic
ticket as a whole, but for reasons
of his own, Charlie Murphy has kept
Copeland's vote an uncertain guam.
tity. 1t is claimed by both sides.
There are no wet and dry issue in
the fight as both Robinson and Sim
mons are themselves dry, though it
is known that Senator Reed. of Mis-
souri,, one of the principal vets, is
working for Robinson, a circum-
stance which may have something
to do with the getting of votes from
such wet states as New Jersey and
Maryland. Senator Walsh, of Mas
sachusetts, however, is for Simmons.
In fact, there is no line of cleavage
on progressivism or conservatism
and on personality, both men stand
high in the esteem of their col
leagues. The question is which will
make the better leader-and an en-
tirely new group of then senators
who have never sat in the senate
will have to make the decision in
conformity with what they think
was the spirit of the electorate in