Evening star., 1925-02-04
Politics at Large
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

1V members from WISCONSIN VINO Ioi-
lowed the banner of La Toilette and
Wheeler in the last campaign, Repre-
sentative Keller of Minnesota and
Representative Sinclair of North Da-
kota. The Republicans failed to send
the members of this group invita-
tions to attend the party caucus OF
the new House, which Is to, meet
here February 27 to nominate the
next Speaker of the House and to
pick the floor leader. The action OF
the regular House Republicans is
similar to that taken by the Senate
Republican conference In regard to
Mr.. La Toilette himself. and three OF
his followers in the upper house at
the opening of the present session.
X X II
While the great bulk Of the Re-
publicans in Congress approve this
action, there are some who have mis-
givings. The latter are from States
west OF the Mississippi, where the
progressive sentiment is strong
where the voters are, perhaps, more
independent when it comes to party
fealty than in the East. They are
not afraid, they say, of Senator La
Toilette, or the other progressive In
surgents who sought to wear the
Republican label, although they
abandoned the party national ticket
and the party platform during the
last campaign. What they fear is
that these independent voters, these
progressive minded people I in the
West, may take ii into their heads
that the Republican organization In
Congress is hitting at progressiv-
ism and using La Toilette and the
others as a punching bag for that
particular form of exercise. They
shudder TO think what might happen
If the people of the West became
convinced that the Republican party
was hereafter to- be regarded as the
Simon pure conservative party.
On the other hand, the head or the
party's national organization, Senator
William NJ Butler of MASSACHUSETTS,
chairman of the Republican nationdi
committee, heartily approves the ac-
tfon taken by the House Republicans
A professed follower of La Toilette
has no place in Republican party
councils, in the opinion of Mr Butler
II X
In this connection Mr.. Butler tells
Of a little experiment he made early
In the recent campaign. He sent IN
vitations to all Of the insurgent group
in the Northwest to join with the reg
ular Republicans to elect Coolidge
and Dawes and in support of the parry
platform.
Il got back number of replies, al
declining and some Of them in abusive
terms" said Mr.. Butler. Possibly
some Of the insurgents thought at
the time that the chairman Of the
Republican national committee had
an overdeyeloped sense of humor and
was giving II play when he sent them
invitations last July to come on In
the waters fine" But they know now
that the chairman is not issuing any
at this time.
1t is pretty generally understood
that the failure to include the insur-
gents in the party councils OF the
House means they will lose theiI
committee assignments which they
have held as members, hitherto, OF
the Republican party. Important
committee assignments mean much to
Representatives and Senators alike
! 1t sometimes takes years Of service tC
reach these coveted posts. Nelson OF
| Wisconsin, for example, is chairman
of elections committee No. 2; Sinclair
has a place on the committee OF
agriculture, and Keller is chairman
of the committee on railways an6
canals; Cooper of Wisconsin is q
member of the foreign affairs com
mittee; Lampert Of Wisconsin heads
X x X X
'If a member Is not a Republican
for the purposes of party organiza-
ton and party council, then he car
scarcely be called a Republican fol
the purpose of filing committee as.
signments," is the way the regulars
put it.
And by the same token 1t looks
as though Senator La Toilette and
Senators Brookhart, Ladd and Frazier
may have a rough time when 1t come:
to making UP the Senate committee:
/ in the next Congress. If some of the
Republicans have their way, these
four Senators will be deposited ir
no mans land, and must take theil
chances along with the Farmer-Labol
Senator, Shipstead of Minnesota A.
q matter Of fact, Senator La Toilette
by reason of his long service and the
seniority rule, holds important com.
mtttee placeS-aS chairman of tht
committee on manufactures, ranking
member of the important COMMITTEES
on flnance, and ranking member OF
the interstate and foreign commerce
Progressives have looked forward Il
the time when he might head either
the finance committee, which handle.
tariff and revenue legislation, or the
handles railroad measures. And now
he may lose his strategic position or
these committees. Not that. it viii
matter much to the Senator from
Wisconsin His course in the Senate
has been followed unswervingly, ant
as he himself says he will find plenty
to keep him occupied. even IL all hf.
committee assignments are taker
away.
x x X X
Victor Berger, Socialist membe,
from Wisconsin, took Representatiy,
Frear. also Of Wisconsin, and on,
of the La Toilette group, severely tc
task because of his speech in til,
House complaining because the in.
surgents had been omitted from tn.
party caucus to be held February 27
These gentlemen are no more Re.
publicans than 1 am" said Mr.. Ber
ger, addressing the House, and re
ferring to his erstwhile allies in the
effort to elect La Toilette President
"As matter of fact, we stood on tn,
same platform at the last election
| only with this difference: 1 still stant
| where l stood last Summer. 1 ash
no favors from the Republican party
| Mr.. Frear posed as great LIZ
| Toilette man last Summer. And, 10
q few days ago Mr.. Frear humbl,
| kissed the flag-no, kissed the ele
plants tail"
| All of which is scarcely inclined
| to make for smooth sailing when tn,
| Socialists and insurgents and othe
| progressives meet in Chicago t,
evolve a new liberal party-if posi-
| BILE.
| x X X X
And now comes a new suggestion
| though it's sponsors are not We
Dragging about it. Reduce the rep
resentatton of some of the Northern
| and Western States in the Democratic
national convention, since they neve
well, scarcely ever-go Democratic