Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-03-06
Fight Now Being Pre-
pared May Dictate
All Issues
FAVOR FARM BLOC
Preparation For 68th
Congress Starts Before
67th Gets Clear Of
Capital.

the 67th congress hardly out or
town. preparations already are
under way for the 6Sth. which,
under normal conditions, will not
meet until the first Monday in
neNs December.
These preparations will go for
ward all through the spring, sum
mer and autumn, for they in
volve issues upon which the 1924
campaign may turn. And when
the new congress meets, the 1924
campaign will be just around the
corner.
The preparations were being
made by three political groups
who viii figure in the 6Sth con-
eress. They are the adminiStra-
ton republicans. the independent
or progressive republicans and
the democrats.
Tba democrats, with greater
strength in the new congress
than in the late one. were con-
cantrating their thought and eff
fort on one thing-harmony. The
vital necessity for getting all the
democrats in congress working
tremendously together, if any
real advantage is to be gained
from the results Of the 1924 con-
gressional elections became ap-
parent 10 national leaders long
ago.
In the senate, particularly. the
democrats hope for great things
from the leadership of Senator
Joe Robinson, Arkansas
who will replace Senator
Underwood, Alabama, as minorl-
tv leader. Underwood got the
leadership after n fight of I'M
precedented bitterness and it was
only when Carter Glass OF Vir-
giuia consented to give up his
treasury portfolio and enter the
senate that Underwood was as
smed of victory. Glass vote
turned the scale. The aftermath
Of that fight was division and
jealousy.
Underwood retired voluntarily
at the end OF the 9th congress
and Robinson early in the field,
won by superior generalship over
Senator Simmons \. c., his only
rival. Robinson stepped out and
pledged practically all the new
democratic senator's to himself
and insured his election, where
uoa Simmons withdrew. That
melnt that when Robinson is for
mally elected, there viii be no
tension in the caucus and bet
ter chance for subsequent harm
ony will exist.
Robinson admittedly has q
heavy task ahead, for while the
democrats are counting on the
votes of some of the new progress
Sive or independent republicans,
to help them. no one knows how
far such votes can be counted on,
or wh,n they can not be counted
on. The new leader has prom
Used to be aggressive without be-
ing rash, and constructive with
out being radical. His friends be
lieve that if he can keep his tenn
per, which is notoriously short
THAT he win make capable floor
leader.
The Republicans, OF their part,
have a leadership problem grow
ing out Of the same situation
which makes Robiuson's task del
icate. While the republicans re-
tain paper majority of eight in
the senate. they cannot count on
some of those listed rs repubh-
cans to vote with the adminiStra-
ton. In spite of Senator Lodges
denial that he was too enfeebled
and weary to lead effectively any
longer. some of his colleag CUES
think he ought to be satisfied
with the title of leader emeritus
or something decorative like that
and that the actual leading ought
to be entrusted to some younger
more vigorous hands. Like B@r
ks. some of the younger sena'
tors are willin' and they anC
their friends already are at worl
trying 10 line up votes to unsea'
Lodge. The unSeating if it occur:
will &c gentle. and the Republi
cans win give him a soft cushion
10 sit on. and will tell the worlC
that he is still leader, but that h
won't work at ii much. Lenroot
Wisconsin. has some support fol
the place. Watson. Indiana
would like it. There is talk o.
others.
The third group is that littl,
handful of independents out o.
the west that blew in on the 1922
election cyclone. They iueludt
Frazier n. D.; Shipstead, MINI.
Wheeler, Mont: Dill, Washing
ton: Howell, Neb. They ado
their strength to that of Borah
Couzens. Brookhart, LaFollette
Norris. and sometimes Norbecl