The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-11-27
WASHINGTON LETTER

Washington, Nov. 26 = Official
Washington has thrown off the leg
arthgy of the summer Congressional
recess as a majority of the legislators
have returned to their posts. Every
thing is in readiness for the opening
of the session of Congress Monday
next. Those who successfully de-
Tended their jobs at the elections are
striving for party honors from COM
mittees and others who were defeated
are putting their affairs in shape for
their retirement from public life.
The most interesting spectacle is
afforded in the bartering among
members of the House and Senate for
jobs on important committees. mas
much as the real business of Congress
is transacted in committee rooms, a
legislators worth is measured by his
committee assignments. One of the
most powerful and hard pressed
groups of men in the national legis-
lature is the Committee on Comittees,
which has to do with assignment of
members to various committees.
There is noticeable change on the
part of returning congressman as to
partisanship. 1t is apparent that
whatever vacancies exist at the next
session will be filled only when the
leaders are satisfied Of the candidates
fitness that means as judged from
party standards. Committee work,
it is said, was somewhat handicapped
at the recent sessions by the failure
of committee members to follow party
policies. 1t is not expected that much
Roadway will be made on committee
line-ups at the short session which
begins next week. The feeling exists
that whatever changes are necessary
now will pave the way for more dras-
tic wedding out of the committees at
the new Congress which convenes
next year.
The personality of chairmen for
standing committees is an absorbing
topic in Washington. There are two
or three vacancies which must be
filled in the expiring Congress, Form
erly, the craftsmanship fell to the lot
of the man who had served his party
longest on the committee. Promo
ton by seniority is custom which
has been broken of late. In the Sem
ate controversy between Senator La
Toilette and his followers and the Re-
pupblic leaders resulted in the cleo
ton Of Senator Ellison D. Smith, of
South Carolina, as chairman of the
Interstate Commerce Committee. In
man Martin B. Madden, Republican
of Illinois, was made chairman of the
all-important Committee on Appro
priations in recognition of his unusual
ability though he was out ranked from
the seniority standpoint. The chair
man is always member of the domi-
nant party, with the exception noted.
The average person not familiar
with the intricacies of law-making be-
lieve that laws are actually passed or
defeated during the debates on the
floor of the Senate or House. The
facts are that bill is seldom report
ed to the House without the consent
of a committee. You may be sure
that committee members take a quiet
poll of the House and Senate and
know the fate of particular bills be-
fore reporting them out of commit
tee. The technical part of law-mak-
ing is handled by Subcommittee US
ually made up from three to five
members, including minority repre-
sentatives.
Call has been issued for party eau
cuses to meet Friday and Saturday of
this week and the early part of next.
Ordinarily the caucus is conference
for agreement on party program.
Of late the fractional differences have
made it of relatively little import
ance. The opinion prevails that the
party caucus will come into its own
again as result of the elections. The
theory is advanced that only blind
factionist would fail to note the writ
ing on the wall, so to speak, made by
the electorate a few weeks ago. In
terviews with Congressional leaders
bring out the sentiment that there
will be increasing evidences of party
solidarity. The story is current that
the Democrats are already moving
toward this end. According to the
opinions expressed in various quart
ers, the Democrats will turn their
backs on alliances with so-called Re-
publican malcontents. 1t will be re-
called that these alliances af-
fected legislative measures enacted at
the last session of the present Cong
ress. The tax bill is given as an IL
lustration of this work. Senator
Thomas F. Bayard, of Delaware, De-
mocratic leader, has stated that if his
party is to go forward to success, it
must unite on party principles which
would mean the disappearance of
blocs, factions and personalities
Many democratic leaders feel that
if their record as minority party in
the next Congress is clear and UNI
blemished, that their chances to gain
control Of the Senate and House in
the 1926 elections will be greatly en-.
HANGED. Meanwhile, the agitation is
growing in Republican circles to
force, by sheer weight of numbers,
those bearing the party label to live
UP to specifications. There have been