Evening star., 1923-12-13
COALITION IS SEEN
IN CAPITOL TACTICS.
Democratic and Republican
Conservatives Act to
Curb Radicals.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Coalition government may be too
formal name, but in actual practice
there is developing in the Senate and
House an informal combination OF
conservative votes from the republi-
can and democratic parties which is
for the moment blocking the radicals.
The refusal OF the. democratic eau
Gus to adopt a resolution Tropused by
Its own radicals providing for fusion
with the insurgent republicans in an
attempt to overthrow the House re-
publican organization and rearrange
the places on the slate OF committees
Is an outcropping of the same con-
servatism which on the Senate side led
Senator Bruce of Maryland, democrat
TO abandon party lines and vote FOR
Senator cummins of Iowa. republican,
for the Craftsmanship OF the Interstate
commerce. committee, instead OF Sem
htor La Toilette. republican, or Sena-
tor Smith of South Carolina, demo-
cFat. Not that Mr.. Smith is d radical,
but the insurgent republicans had
thrown their support to him TO pre-
vent Mr.. Cummins' election, and SEN
ator Bruce made up his mind that a
victory for Mr.. Smith under the cir
circumstances was a triumph for the
al elements.
Struggle on Rail Act.
Back of the fight in the Senate is
an anticipated struggle on the famous
section rs A" OF the transportation
act which Mr.. Cummins sponsored
and which the radicals wish to see
repealed. The railroads OF the United
States. want that section of the law
retained. as do many of the invest
ors who hold railroad securities The
clause fixes the limit OF railroad earn
inGS annually and makes it necessary
for the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion In making freight rates to take
into account this legal limit OF earn
lngs. The western. radicals are in
sisting that this section of the trans
portaton act is blocking a reduction
In freight rates. Mr.. Bruce comes
from Maryland, where prominent con-
stituents have been leading the fight
for the retention of the earning
clause of the transportation act 1t
isn't II matter of persons In the SEN
ate. but matter of principle, and in
this case party lines tend to disap-
pear.
Over In the House the democrats of
the conservative group have taken
Bruce in that they refuse TO become
involved in contest Of personalities.
but wish to vote on principle The
resolution proposed by the radical
democrats would have meant If 4
adopted. working ARRANGEMENT with
the insurgent republicans. so that
the slate OF committee places would
have been upset. To win democrats
support. the insurgent republicans
promised to allot an equal number OF
places to the democrats and repub-
licans on important committees The
argument advanced by the insurgent
democrats was that the propositfon
should be accepted in order to insure
liberalization of the rules. the same
ming for which the insurgent repub-
election of Representative Gillett to
the Speakership last week.
Conservative Win Out.
But the conservative leaders in the
democratic caucus won out by stating
that the rules were going to be lib
eralized anyhow ana that the republi-
can leaders had pledged themselves
to consider revision of the rules in
thirty days. There would be ample
opportunity, said men like Represen-
tative Garner OF Texas, to consider
changes in the rules, and the demo-
Gratis could vote then as they pleased,
those who believed in liberalization
party who believed likewise.
But in the meantime to put the
democratic party in the position of
obstructing progress by insisting on
committee places for individuals
through a trade with the insurgents
of the other party was held to be
unWise. Hence the democrats were
pledged to vote for the plan of COM
mittee organization announced la-t
week, which is based on the ratio of
republicans and democrats elected to
the House. This willingness on the
part OF the democrats to accept pro
cedure even when sponsored by the
republicans is in conformity with
precedent and insures republican sup
port some day If the democrats
should have a slender majority and
encounter insurgency in their own
ranks.
When the debate on rules comes
up the fight for committee places
will be over. the House Will have
been completely organized and the
liberalization OF rules will be con-
sidered on its merits. Thus the
democrats are aiding their repub-
lican brethren in steering an even
keel in a sea of radicalism.
Copyright. 1891