Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-02-16
WHIPS JOB
PROBABLY WOULD
MAKE job CUSS
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN

BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN
WASHINGTON, D. a., Feb To-
AS the tale is told, Senator Charles
Curtis, of Kansas, had a strange
dream one night. He dreamed that
he died and went to heaven, where
all good Republicans expect to go,
and presented his credentials at the
pearly portal. Saint Peter took but
a glance at the great record of mum
dane affairs ere he threw wide the
gates and said:
Enter and welcome. Your Gre
dentials say, and the record affirms,
that you were the Republican whip
of the United States senate during
the session of 1924. Boy! Page
Job and tell him to cheer up. Here's
somebody who knows what trouble
really is!''
Senator Curtis may not have had
such a dream. In fact, there is rea-
son to doubt he ever finds time to
sleep long enough to have any kind
of dream. And if he does sleep, and
if he does dream, he would probably
have a nightmare in which he found
himself in purgatory with the same
kind of job he now holds, However
the story is probably as au4hentic as
many of those that are retailed in
the senate cIoakrooms, and it serves
to convey some idea of the present
trials and tribulations of the senator
from Kansas.
The job of party whip in any leg
islative body is never listed among
the soft snaps of life. AT best it is
a thankless job, which only man
with an exalted conception of this
party duty could be persuaded to un-
dertake. Briefly stated, the whips
task is to see that all his fellow par
tisans are present and voting, and
voting right, when measures and
questions come UP that present a
political aspect.
If his party is hopeIessly in the
minority, his responsibilities are not
great. because it matters compare
lively little whether the party regis
tiers its full strength on a given is
sue. On the other hand, If his party
has an overwhelming majority, the
whip is not overWorked. for 1t is fair
ly certain that his forces will al
ways have votes to spare in any Or
binary test of strength.
But when his party has only a
nominal and not q real majority,
when there are half a dozen differ
ent blocs and coalitions, when the
balance of power is held by a small
group of members only too prone to
kick over the traces OH every and
any occasion, and when the party
lash has lost its sting, then pity the
poor whip! And that's the kind of
proposition Senator Curtis is up
against.
Senators Hard to Corral
Under the most favorable condi-
tons United States senators are
difficult to corral. Some of them are
a bsent-minded and never remember
to be on hand when they are need
ed most. Some of them are bored
70 death by the tedium of senate de-
bates and, if they were chained TO
their desks, would pick the padlocks
Some of them are always having
business anywhere except on Capt.
tol Hill. Some of them are always
candidates for reelection and have
to be making frequent trips PACK
home to look after their fences. Some
of them are running for president
and are often away keynote-lng IN
one section of the country or an
other.
1t is the whips business to know
the habits and peculiarities of all the
group which he must look after. Ii
thew are not on the floor or in the
smoking room at any given moment
the whip is supposed to know where
they are to be found and to be able
to reach them with an emergency
call.
And then there is the little matter
of lining them up to vote right. In
the not so long ago, Republican SEN
ators on the floor would simply prick
ND their ears to hear how Aldrich
voted and then ask to be recorded
likewise, and those who came sour
rving in answer to the bell or
the whips message merely inquired
if the Rhode Island senator had
voted ave" or mo" and answered
the clerk accordingly. But those
were the good old days of party dis
cipline, and like the halycon days
they are no more. Aldrich, the great
leader, has passed away, and so has
the idea that a senator elected as
q Repul lican or as a Democrat nee
eSSdIlIN
That's one of the reasons Senator
Curtis as the present-day Repub-
lican whip is buster far than the ira
ditfonal onea-rmed paperhanger ana
would be unable TO hang up lO0
per cent efficiency record if he had
the power to issue writs of, habeas
corpus, capiasa and mandamus ana
had a posse comitatus TO serve ana
enforce them.
Showdown on Cummins
When the session opened in De-
cember it was apparent that Senator
Curtis would have his work cut out
for him, and the showdown came
promptly in the matter of Senator
Cummins and the craftsmanship of
the interstate commerce committee.
The regular Republicans decreed that
the Iowan should retain that chair
manship. in addition to being pres
ident pro tenn. of the senate, but the
progressives baked and by throwing
their votes with the Democrats and
the farm-laborites they had the
power to defeat Cummins.
1t developed upon Senator Curtis
to hold the regular forces intact and
see that they were all present on
each ballot lest the opposition slip
one over. He did this day after day
In the end he went down with his
colors flying, for when the progress