The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-03-21
COOLIDGE SEES
TROUBLE FROM
NEXT CONGRESS-
Group of Insurgents Will
Hold Balance of Power
in Both Houses
REGULARS IN DEFIANCE
Democrats Join Insurgency
in Blocking Plans of
Administration
REGULARS IN DEFIANCE
BY CHARLES p. STEWART
NEA Service Writer

NEA Service WINTER
Washington, March 21.-From Pre-
sident Coolidge's standpoint, the Goth
Congress is going to be little, if any,
improvement on the 68th. The Sem
ate's defeat of his appointment of
Charles B. Warren as attorney gen.
eral proved it.
Just as in the 68th Congress,
small group of "insurgents" will
hold the balance of power between
Republicans and Democrats in the
69th.
Thus they will be able to hold up
administration legislation, to pass a
certain amount Of anti-administra-
tion legislation, which will be vetoed
of course, but will be nuisance
nevertheless, and perhaps to keep
batch Of embarrassing Investigations
in progress all the time.
This may not be true of the House,
but it will be true Of the Senate. The
turning down of one Of his cabinet
appointments is about the hardest
wallop it is possible to land on q
president. The lawmaking body
which is capable of doing that is
capable of anything.
The Republican managers brought
the situation on themselves.
1t was their idea that the last elec-,
tion had given them clear, depend
able Senate majority. And so it did.
True, there were four senator's
La Toilette, BroOkhart, Frazier and
Ladd-who were elected as Republi-
cans whom the Republicans couldn't
count on.
But even leaving them out Of con-
sderation, there still was Republi-
can majority. This majority, to be
sure, included several moderate lib
erals, but not liberal enough to be-
long in the ''insurgent" class. In
all things reasonable they were pre-
pared to play the Republican
game"
What's more, it was understood
that the Democrats weren't going to
cooperate, in the 69th Congress,
with the "insurgents" in blocking
Republican plans.
And then, with everything In per-
fectly Republican good shape, the
managers persisted in reading La
Toilette, Brookhart, Frazier and Ladd
out of the party.
This instantly consolidated prac-
tically all moderately liberal senti-
ment on the "insurgent" side.
As indicated by the vote on the
Warren appointment, Borah, C0u-
zens. Johnson, McMaster, Norbeck
and Norris are definitely "off the res
ervation," in addition to La Toilette,
Brookhart, Frazier and Ladd.
La Toilette was absent when the
vote was taken. Brookhart, Frazier
and Ladd undoubtedly would have
voted against confirmation anyway.
So, probably, would Couzens.
But it is most unlikely Borah,
Johnson, McMaster, Norbeck and
Norris would have done so but for
the punishment inflicted on the La
Toilette group.
Moreover, the Democrats promptly
lent their aid to Republican Gin
surgency." With the single excep-
tion of Overman they voted against
confirmation, and even Overman
went over to the anti-administration
side before the fight ended.
There were 16 absentees, too, and
if they had been present, the ad-
ministration's defeat would have
been heavier still. If the 16, 9-Dill,
Edwards, Gerry, Glass, Jones of New
Mexico, Kendrick, Smith, Stephens
and Underwood-are Democrats, who
almost certainly would have oppos-
ed confirmation.
Equally certain, so would La Fol-
lette, and perhaps Howell of the mo-
derately liberal Republican element. |
One grain of satisfaction even the
Republican regulars" got out of
Warren's defeat-what happened to
Charles G. Dawes.
None of them liked the way he
lectured the Senate, in his inaugural
speech, on the Importance of being
ION the job" and expediting busi-
ness.
The thought that, since the day
had to be lost, it was lost because
the vice president was asleep, in
stead of being on hand to break the
initial tie vote, is comfort to many
an otherwise sorely tried regular"
Republican senatorial soul.