Evening star., 1925-10-28
Politics at Large
BY e.. Could Lincoln

Up to date, however, there has been
no solution announced. 1t was first
reported that the Attorney General,
strong supporter of the President,
would make the race for the Repub-
lican nomination for Senator against
Senator Dale of Vermont, who has
belonged to the progressive wing OF
the party in New England. Then it
was suggested that Senator Frank l..
Greene Of Vermont would resign to
make 1t possible for the Republican
governor to appoint the Attorney
General to the Senate. There has
been so far no confirmation of the
first report and the second report IS
utterly without foundation. Senator
Greene is at present i'll Vermont. lie
is in much improved physical condl-
ton, following a long sea trip, and
while he has mode no statement
and there is no reason for him to
make a statement--rega the
rumor Of his resiguation-hiS friends
here insist there is no truth in 1t.
In Vermont 9olitics there is the
mountain rule" a kind Of unWritten
law, which gives to the people on one
side Of the Green Mountains dividing
the State from north 70 south Sen
ator and 81 Representative, and the
same representation in Congress to
the people on the other side. The
governor OF the State is usually elect
ed from the west side and then from
the east side Of the mountains. At
present he halls from the east side.
The west side is the first congress
sional district and the east side is
the second congressional district.
x Z X
1t happened that Senator Greene
halls from the VaeSt side of the noun
tains and Senator Dale from the east
side, and Attorney General Sargent
also comes from the east side. If the
Attorney General set out to enter the
Senate, unless the mountain rule is
TO be upset, he would scarcely seek
10 supplant Senator Greene. The
west side will want to have a repre-
sentative follow Senator Greene,
should he retire.
Senator Greene's term Of Office does
not expire until March 3. 1929. 1t
does not seem likely that Attorney
General Sargent would start a cam
paign at present for the Republican
senatorial nomination in 1920 from the
west side, particularly when il would
violate this mountain rule.
At present New England is repre-
sented in the Presidents cabinet by
only one man, Attorney General Sar
gent. This does not seem a particu-
larly good reason 10 believe that Mr.
Sargent will be transferred from the
cabinet TO the Senate, though, Of
course, another New EnCla nder might
be selected for the post of Attorney
General in that event. But it is said
by some of Mr.. Sargent's friends that
he likes Washington and has n
very comprehensive grasp of his job
as Attorney General, and they ex-
pect him TO stay on.
The Republicans have a working
majority in the Senate in this Con
gress, n majority which has been
still further increased by the death
of Senator Ralston Of Indiana. Dem
ocrat, and the appointment in his
place Of Republican. Arthur d. Rob
inson. Senator Greene has worked
faithfully with his party in the House
and in the Senate. and any efforts to
dislodCe him would be frowned upon
The Republicans. however. will be
called upon to fight to retain control
of the Senate in the 1926 elections
and every seat upon which the admin
istration can count for support Will
be closely counted. This fact has given
rise TO the specula ton that perhaps
Mr.. Sargent would enter the lists
against Senator Dale next year. How
ever, il will be remembered that Sen
ator Dale, IN opposing the admins
tratiOn on some legiSlatiV easures,
among them the soldiers bonus bill.
did no more than other Senators who
are rated regular" and strong sup
- -,
The coming session of Congress and
the elections for Congress and for
governor next year are relied upon
by some of the Democratic leaders to
bring forth not only the issues but
the candidate for the next presidential
contest in 1923. The Democratic or
ganization in some of the States con-
tinues to flourish like the green bay
tree. although in others it has dwin-
died to little or nothing. The prob
lem of the Democrats has been to
bring about a cohesive, co-ordinated
whole. working in unity. The great
est need of the party today, It is
frankly admitted by men who have
the interest Of the Democrats at heart,
is an outstanding leader, about whom
all factions may rally. Such leader
years.
The Senate when it meets will pro-
ceed TO the election OF two of its most
important officers, owing to vacancies
due to deaths during the present re-
cess of Congress. A new secretary
must be chosen to fill the place OF the
late George w. Sanderson of Illinois,
+1,.+ :
publicans regained control of the Sen
ate in 1919. The death of Thomas w.
Keller. who held the most important
office in the Senate allotted 10 the
Democrats since they have been in
the minority, makes necessary choice
for the place, too.
The names which have been men
toned most prominently so far in con-
nection with the office Of secretary
of the Senate are those of Col. Ed
Thaver of Indiana, who has so often
been nt-at-arms of national con-
ventions of the Republican party; for
mer Senator Ball of Delaware, who
retired from the Senate last March,
and Mercer Vernon, who has been con-
nected with the Republican national
committee. The selection of secre-
tary will he made at conference of
the Republican Senators shortly before
the session opens, it is expected, and
the nomination thus made will be rati-
fed later by the Senate itself There
is said to be an unwritten law against
the election of a former Senator to fill
this post, which may affect the candi-
dacy of Senator Ball.
The important Democratic office un-
til recently held by Mr.. Keller will be
filed, it is confidently expected, by the
election of Col. f. A. Halsey of Eir-
ginia, who has been a trusted en-
ploye of the Senate for years and who
was the Democratic nominee for sec.
retary of the Senate when that office
was balloted for at the beginning of