Evening star., 1928-12-11
BOEfERS FACING
! SENATE DISCIPLINE
Democratic and Republican
Leaders Declared Marked
for Punishment.

With electoral and popular votes
counted, and the immediate excitement
of election day thing of the past, poll
ticians and party leaders are promptly
taking stock of the state of affairs that
will come into being when President
Herbert Hoover has his first Congress
on his hands. On paper, it is a safely
controlled Republican Congress. That
is certainly SO in the House of Rep
resentatives. but less of an assured
thing in the Senate. Even though
there may be seven or eight more
straightout Republicans in the Senate
of the Seventy-first Congress than
there are in the expiring Seventieth
Congress, the White House will still
have to reckon with the Progressive
bloc. Senator Norris of Nebraska, who
was an AL Smith Republican in the
presidential campaign, is the acknowl-
edged leader of the bloc
II Norris can hold together on con-
troversial occasions group consisting
of himself, La Toilette and Blaine of
Wisconsin, Howell of Nebraska, Norbeck
and McMaSter of South Dakota, Frazier
and Nye of North Dakota, Shipstead
and Schall of Minnesota, Brookhart of
Iowa. Couzens of Michigan, Johnson of
California, Dill of Washington and
Wheeler Of Montana company of
15-the Nebraskan could throw forked
lightning into Senate proceedings when
ever he pleased. It is not at all likely
that he could marshal phalanx con-
tanning all of these Senator's But the
Republican majority will not be so large
that it could universally depend upon
putting through Hoover programs re-
gardleSs of Norris and the Progressive
bloc. The latter .7ould always possess
a certain nuisance value"
Hostile Attitude Threatens.
Long before the Nebraskan essays to
make trouble for the regular G. 0. p.
organization in the Senata-if he has
any such intentions-he will probably
find himself on the defensive. Already
there are angry murmurings that Sem
ator Norris action in boiling the Hoover
and Curtis ticket calls for drastic puni-
tive action. The Republicans have had
ciplined a group of Northwestern SEN
ators a couple of years ago for high
treason to the party program, though,
when the present Senate was organ
Ked," the offenders were taken back
INTO the fold, and even rewarded with
coveted committee assignments. If it
tnrnS out that the Republicans in 1929
can organize" the Senate without help
from the Progressives, 1t is now in the
cards that Norris in particular may be
made to feel the party lash. His pun
Eminent would take the form of with
erawal of the judiciary committee
Craftsmanship. The NebraSkan pre-
1erred that blue-ribbon last year to the
cnalrmanship OF the agriculture COM
mittee, which is relinquished to Senator
McNary of Oregon
Use OF the big stick will not be con-
fined to the Republican side of the
Senate aisle. The Democrats have
some grudgeS to wipe out, too. The
author OF the chief grudge which the
minority party has to avenge is Sena-
tor Furnifold NJ. Simmons. who led
North Carolina out of the Democratic
ranks on November almost wholly bv
dint of his personal influence in the |
Tarheel State. AS ranking minority
member Of the powerful finance COM !
mlttee OF the Senate, Simmons holds |
one OF tne choicest committee honors !
e the disposal of the Democratic eau
Gus. whenever the party Organizes" |
the upper house. the seniority rule
would advance Simmons to the chair
manship now held by Senator Reed
smoot. Republican, of Utah. II
Robinson Faces Opposition.
AS Senator Joe T. Robinson of Ar
KANSAS, defeated candidate for Viye |
president, is Democratic leader of the |
senate, there IS inclination at the yerv |
TOP OF the minority high command in |
tnat body to give Simmons what's |
coming to- him." as q confrere hIlntly |
puts 1t. With the exception Of Hefiin |
q Alabama, whose opposition to Smith |
Enlle open and aVowed, was not milf |
tantly active like Simmons hostility |
tne veteran North Carolinian is the
only Senate Democrat who bolted the
national ticket. The Republicans dis
ciplined their unruly Northwestern Pro-
gresslves for far less treasonable con-
duct than Simmons was guilty of in the
presidential campaign. There is thus |
q precendent. on the other side of the |
chamber, for imposing condign punish- |
ment on the ranking finance commit |
tee Democrat. Heflin has no commit |
teeShipS important enough to deprive |
MN OF, or he. too, in all probability |
would feel the caucus lash. 1t has
hung over him before.
Cnolce OF a Republican floor leader
N the Senate will cause the majority
senators a good deal of heart t-searching |
senator George H. Moses of New Ham, !
snlre, would, be the logical choice He
= not only President pro tempore of
M MIIe senate now, but has to his credit
sr sne conquest OF the lions share of the
eastern territory assigned as his spe-
Cla! oailiwick in the Hoover Campaign
massachusetts, and Rhode Island, it