Evening star., 1925-03-18
Politics at Large
BY ". o. MESSENGER.

Senator Borah of Idaho has an
answer for the often propounded
question, What is a radical?" In
the Senate last Monday he said:
What is radical, Mr.. President?
i thlnk 1t has come to the time when
radical is a man who believes in
the Constitution of the United
States" The official reporter of de-
bates inserted line, Laughter"
after this utterance.
IF that is the charge which is
laid to me-" he continued, "and of
those who believe as l do upon this
side of the chamber, no other defini-
tlon could be given to it,
y X X
In the coming months of the long
recess of Congress, Republicans look
ing forward to the reassembling of
congress in the regular session will
nave much to ponder in considering
the question whether the Republicans
in the Senate of the next Congress
are to have a working majority
which can be relied upon at all times
when strict party questions are to
come up for action.
The success or impairment of the
Coolidge administration will be at
stake in this consideration. Little, if
any. fear is entertained of the main
tenance of working majority in the
House. fractional Republican bitter
ness is not so intense in the lower
body of Congress. Events of the
special session of the Senate now
coming to a close demonstrated the
existence Of bitter factionalsm in
the Republican party and the fact
that II was possible to make it eff
fective to the hampering of the
4 "a iTarr f,f Tx1,s
whether so designed or not.
The mandate given by the people
in the last general elections to the
Republican party, although the most
sweeping and emphatic in the history
of American politics, was proven to
be not wholly effective by events
occurring since March 4 in the
Senate. They were OF sufficient
gravity as to warrant the doubt
whether the Republicans can depend
in the next session upon a strict
party majority on all the questions
that are sure to arise. One writer
has summed up the prospect for the
future by saying "Wanted-A work
ing majority" And the want threat
ems to possibly be acute.
X x
In the recent furry of the Senate
of Mr.. Warren, there may be honest
division of opinion as to the justif-
cation of those Republican Senators
who resisted President Coolidge.
The contention of these gentlemen
is that they were exercising not only
their prerogative in refusing to con-
firm Mr.. Warren, but indeed were
obeying the requirement of the Con-
stttution that they carefully advise
as to the qualification of prest-
Dental appointee They contend that
they would shirk a plain duty i'm
posed upon them by the fathers if
they evaded expression Of their
judgment as to those qualifications.
They deny that they were actuated
by any motives of factionalism,
claiming the higher ground of ad-
herence to duty laid upon them.
From expressions in the press the
reaction of the ma jority sentiment of
the country at this time appears to be
favorable to the Presidents position
in the case. Public sentiment seems
to be leaning to a disposition to trust
10 President Coolidge's judgment as
to the qualifications of the Attorney
General he has proposed Senator
Shortridge and Senator Bingham
voiced what is believed to he the
prevailing opinion that the people
are disposed to defer to President
Coolidge's honesty and judgment in
determining the fitness for office of
the man he selected for that place. AS
these two Senators pointed out, it is
impossible to conceive that President
Coolidge would fail to obey the con-
stitutional mandate to see to il that
the laws are faithfully exercised, or
select an incompetent. They will re-
fuse to believe that he would will
fully violate his oath of office to that
effect. In the absence of detailed
analysis of the record in the case,
they are likely to take the Presidents
judgment as to whether Mr. Warren
would make an honest and capable
public servant.
But the question of practical poll
tics under discussion in this chapter
is whether the vote in the Senate of
Tuesday presages the recurrence of
similar votes of opposition in the flu
ture Of a faction of Republicans who
may be aligned against the Presi-
dent upon occasion and on other
questions which may take the form
of factional Republican division.
What the administration will have
TO find out is who may be considered
as regular" Republicans. and
whether the vote Of last Tuesday
presages that a group of Senator'S
elected as regular" Republicans are
to be counted upon at all times
thereafter
In the calculations for the future.
those who are regarded as likely to
exercise the most independent"
spirit possible. at times to go to the
ar of a
ministration and maybe the Repub-
lican party, are Senators Borah
of Idaho, Couzens of Michigan
and Norris and Howell of Ne
braska. Senator La Toilette of
Wisconsin is not looked upon
as Republican at all, nor counted
upon to lend his aid to any measures
that bear the Republican hallmark.
There are others who are suspected
of being in twilight zone of strict
party fealty, and who may jump the
party reservation at any time.
Great reliance is placed by the
friends and supporters of the admin
istration on the expected pressure of
public opinion upon Senators from
now on. 1t is contended that thew
will eventually be swayed by the
support given the President by the
country. No one questions the Presi-
dents hold upon the people at this
time.
But the people do not vote in the
Senate, the Senators vote There can
be no doubt that the Republican
Senators who opposed the President
in the Warren case are aware of the
almost instantaneous reaction of
public sentiment to the Presidents
support There is no record, how
ever, of that fact having changed
any opposition votes. The Republi-
can Senators who cast their votes