Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-16
n HE election Of a Speaker ir
the next Congresses success.
sor to Representative Fred

i erick H. Gillett of Massachu-
sets, whose term in the
House expires on March 4, when he
succeeds Senator David I. Walsh in
the Senate-may involve a change in
the craftsmanship Of any one of the
three most important committees of
the House-ways and means. which
is the taxing or money-raising COM
mittee: appropriations, which is the
money-spending committee, or rules,
which determines the legislative
program and relative priority to be
given the more important measures.
With exactly 80 new faces coming
into the next House, and with the
craftsmanship vacated on Is COM
mittees, besides the possibility on the
three named above, with many vet
eran members going out-there is
prospect Of wholesale shake-up Of
the committees as they are now or
ganized. This fixing up the member
ship Of committees is a tremendous
task, and the committee on COM
mittees will find II particularly diff
f1cult when the new House meets be-
cause the veteran secretary Of the
committee on committees, Represen-
tative Merrill Moores of Indiana, will
himself be among the missing.
Two Seek Speakershfp.
There are already two publicly an
nounced candidates for the speaker
ship-Representative Nicholas Long
worth Of Ohio, who Is now House leader,
and Representative Martin B. Madden
Of Illinois, who is chairman Of the
super-committee on appropriations.
There are likely to be two or three more
candidates for Speaker. Representative
John O. Tilson Of Connecticut, who has
frequently and ably substituted in the
Speakers chair, is being urged by his
friends. Representative Tilson is sit
ting pretty, for while other House
members had to sacrifice their seats in
the House to run for the Senate (and
in several instances the House lost ex-
ceptionally good men thereby when they
were defeated) Representative Tilson
has been reelected to the House, and is
also to be a candidate for the Senate
In the special election December 10 to
Ali the vacancy caused by Senator
Brandegees death.
Then, too, friends of Representative
Theodore Z. Burton Of Ohio are urging
that a browning glory should be given
to his long years of conspicuous public
service by honoring him with the
speakershp.
1t will be remembered also that when
the present Congress sought TO organize,
the La Toilette followers, under the
management in the House of Repre-
sentative John NJ. Nelson of Minnesota,
later the La Toilette campaign man
ager. put In nomination for Speaker
Representative Henry Allen Cooper of
Wisconsin, who then rivaled Representa-
tive Glllett for seniority in service and
who now outranks all other members of
the House for length of service, 1t may
be that the La Toilette group (Which
suffered no losses in the recent election)
may again seek TO dicker for some
thing else they want by putting up a
candidate for Speaker and threatening
to cast their votes to the Democrat tic
candidate if they see that the Repub-
lican majority is divided between any
two party members. In that event Rep
resentative Cooper might be the candi-
date. or Representative Nelson himself
might be put forward.
Garrett Democrat Choice.
or course, the Democratic candidate
for Speaker will be Representative
FINS J. Garrett Of Tennessee, who
hasn't much more than ghost of a
show to he elected, and who will con-
tinue rs minority leader, in which posi-
ton he has done excellent service
! Then. il Madden is elected Speaker
| it will be vacancy in the chairman
ship of the appropriations committe
where the next ranking Republican
| member. Representative Charles r
| Davis of Minnesota, was defeated for
reelection in the primaries. This
leaves Representative Daniel r. An
thony, jr., of Kansas. in line to be
chairman of that very importan,
committee. Three other members OF
| that committee will not serve in the
next Congress-Anderson of Mime
| sofa, who voluntarily retires; Byrnes
| Of South Carolina, who was a candi-
date for the Senate, and Representa-
| tive Eagan of New Jersey, who was
defeated in the primaries.
! Right here comes another specula-
| ton that may cause some trouble for
the Republicans. If Burton is not
elected Speaker, 1t may be that he
| will be urged for Craftsmanship of
the appropriations committee. In
| this connection it is well to recall
that he argued rather forcefully that
while his present service in the
House started only March 4, 1921, he
has really served just as long as
Chairman Madden, although not con-
tinuously.
! Smell May Get Post.
! II, on the other hand. Longworth Is
elected Speaker, it will mean that
| some one must be chosen to succeed
]
| Bertrand H. Smell of New York
chairman of the rules committee, is
now most prominently mentioned.
| Under the seniority rule that chair
| manShip would go to Representative
| Royal c. Johnson of South Dakota
! who is now chairman of the commit
tee on World War veterans legisla-
| ton and of expenditures in the Wal
| Department If Representative Roy
al Johnson goes to the chairmanshir
of rules, which is considered one OF
| the highest honorS and great respon-
| sibility, and with Representative Ho-
mer p. Snyder of New York. who Is
! next in line on the veterans COM
mittee, retiring at the close of the
present session, the Craftsmanship OF
| the veterans committee would be
| open for Representative Robert Luce
of Massachusetts, who is already
J chairman of the committee on the
| library-so you see how involved
the changes in committee chairman
ships become.
! In the event of Longworth's cleo
ton, here is another thing to be con-
! sidered. Until the present Congress
| the chairman Of the ways and means
| committee automatically, or ipso
facto, became leader Of the majority
| party on the floor. 1t may be that
| this custom Will De revived. Repre-
| sentative William r. Green of Iowa
| is chairman Of the ways and means
| committee and quite we'll satisfied
that he has plenty of work cut out
| for him there, also, and in all re-
| spect to Representative Green, he is
| not of the aggressive, dominant
masterful type, coupled with good
| fellowship, that would make a sue
cessful leader, many of his colleagues
| believe.
| Caucus to Settle Rows.
So much for the problems that the
| sneak arShin raisaS-and the nrnSnec1