Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-04

chair of the President of the Senate
he cannot act in that manner. But
there is nothing to prevent Senators
from walking up to the rostrum and
having few minutes whispered con-
verSatiOn with Curtis, nor is there any
thing to prevent him from temporarily
turning over the chair to some other
Senator-and, If he is a new one, pleas
ing him greatly-and withdrawing for
an hour or two into his private office,
just across the Senators private lobby
and almost Immediately behind the ros-
trum, from which 1t Is hardly IS steps,
and there behind closed doors holding
any conference he pleases.
Rules Not Absolute.
The new Republican floor leader will
lead. Nobody is denying that. But it
| would surprise no one If even he should
often consult such an old hand at the
business as Curtis. Whatever influence
| Curtis has will not be welded by rea-
son of any official authority, for he will
| have none. He can rule a motion out of
order under the rules, for sure, but the
| Senate in tight pinch has never let
its rules interfere with anything it really
wanted to do. The method of procedure
| is simple enough. Somebody merely APP
man, and the ruling is reversed prompt
| ly and on the spot, rules or no rules.
The influence that Curtis will WELD
will be personal and come from his great
knowledge Of the subject.
No man in either branch OF Con-
gress has more friends than the new
Vice President. After the dealt, Of
Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, he
presided-from the floor-over the des-
TIMES Of his party in that body with
a breadth Of view and sureness Of pur-
| pose that have been the admiration OF
| Republicans and Democrats alike.
| It is long trail that he has trav-
eled since he was born. January IS,
| 1860. boy Of part Indian blood. who
was brought through his early boyhood
| by an Indian grandmother and lived in
a tepee on the plains. In his veins runs
Alglo-Saxon and French blood and the
proud blood of Indian chieftains of
more than one tribe. Before he entered
upon the law career that eventually led
to the Senate he was a jockey and rode
| in horse races in the then wild and
woolly West-a romantic and fascinat-
| ing career that Is hard to match. but 1t
| has all been told many times over dur
| ing the presidential campaign.
| Curtis was and Is presidential timber.
| His State delegation was solidly back Of
| him for that office at the Kansas City
convention, and many of his colleagues
in the Senate hoped he would be nonli-
mated. But he Is a good party man."
realizing that only by the party system
can a great republic like ours hope to
be successfully governed.
When it became certain that the
delegates wanted to nominate Hoover
and were just as Overwhelmingly in IA
vor of Curtis for Vice President. the
nomination being given to him on the
first ballot. he accepted with the best
of grace and heartfelt thanks and went
to work as hard as he could to help
elect the Republican national ticket,
with the result that everybody now
knows and is wondering why he did
not know sooner.
One thing Is certain about Vice Pres
ident Curtis: He has not been placed on
shelf by being made Vice President,
even though he never succeeds to the
presidency.