The Bismarck tribune., 1925-03-30
'.'B0RAH BL0C"
HANDY TAG
FOR RADICALS
Term Used For Small Group
of G.. q. p. Insurgents
i'm Senate
BY HARRY Il. HUNT
NEA Service Writer

Washington, March 3O.--Mention
has been made, in recent dispatches
from here of Il 'Borah bloc" in the
United States Senate. Just who the
members Of this bloc are, however,
and by what characteristics they can
be identified, have not been made
plain.
The fact is, Of course, that the
term "Borah bloc" has been used
simply as Il handy tag to tie to the
group Of independently minded Re-
publcans who have declined to per
nit themselves to be bound by their
party's caucus. and who claim the
light to vote their own views on
public questions regardless of what
party LEADERS" proclaim to be their
duty.
To this number might, properly,
be added thVse members recently
ousted from G. O. p. party councils,
on charges of ,irregularity.
Borah was their champion in the
hour of their chastisement. His
insurgency is no less real if more
discreet, than was theirs. They will
fight with him and for him, en- bloc
or independently, as occasion re-
quires.
Whether properly labeled as "bloc'
or not, and whether fairly grouped
under Borah banner, there no long
er remains any doubt but that there
is in the new Senate an insurgent
group that can make itself felt Ell
fectively.
This group has now been pic
turesquely named 1.-The backbone of
the Senate"
Before one qualities for member
ship he must have proven the stiff
ness of his backbone by standing up,
unwaverngly, under the load of pub.
lie criticism, social ostracism and
his individual opinion against his
partys mandate.
Borah himself says there is a
dearth Of tiff backbones in Wash
ington. P; rticularly in the Senate.
1T is much east. in Washington, y
says Borah, Ito go along than it is
to disagree. If there is any atmos-
phere in Gods world that Weakens
mans backbone, it is the atmos-
phere Of Washington. The process
is constant and drastic
Just why senatorial insurgents
should be described at this time
as "the Borah bloc" is not apparent
The most likely guess is that the
name was designed in an effort to
discredit the influence and prestige
of Borah.
By getting before the country a
picture of him as leading bloc
as unde rtaking to organize a group
when he could lead in opposition
to the president or to his party
leadership in the Senate. il may be
hoped to minimize tha force and
effect of his latyr opp o:i.ion to cer-
tain projected party pollc'cs.
But accepting tie ta,y of "BolaI
t,oc" as one that will DC much used
to describe the insurgent Republican
group, it should be rscOrgniZei that
the bloc was formed around BOrah
as the most effective champion of its
more important principles, rather
than having been formed by Borah
as club with which to pound his o1-
pOnents.
Personally, Borah continues tl
play, as he always has, "a lone
hand" Others can come along il
they wish, and welcome. But &c
doesn't change his play in order to
make room for them.
Before sending in the nomination
of John G. Sargent for attorney gen
eral. after the Senate had twice sa,
on" the appointment of Charles B
Warren, President Coolidge took the
precautiOn of ascertainng in ad-
vance what the attitude of the Senate
toward the new appointee would
be.
The president felt that Warren
had been subjected to a most EN-
barrassing, even humiliating, ordeal
His feeling in the matter was per
haps as much because of the posi-
ton in which the double rejection
placed Warren as because of the
"hole" in which 1T placed him.
He hesitated, he told friends, tc
present another nomination unit
he made sure the new nominee would
not be subjected to similar ordeal
KIWANISe FOR MINOT
Recommendation that Kiwanis
club be sanctioned for organization
at Kenmare will be made to Kiwanis
Of Minot, district representative, one
Of 10 Minot Kiwanis club members
who last evening visited that city, he
said recently. The visit to Kenmare
by. the members of the Minot club
which will foster the Kenmare club
wax, in the nature of preliminary
survey as a result of which a fav-
orable Recommendation will be made
to the international organization.
Wisdom teeth seldom decayed CEN
turtles ago when people ate food that
required much chewing.