Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-09
C. 0. P. MAJORITY
IN SENATE TICKLE
Hoover Shown That He Can
not Count With Certainty
on Support.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

The shade of Fighting Bob" be.
strides the scene in the United State:
Senate. The self-same bloc of Re-
publican Progressives who. under the
leadership of the late Robert M
La Toilette of Wisconsin. played ducks
and brakes with G. o. P. administra-
ton policies mas come to life again to
plague President Hoover.
Thirteen of them-ominous total
through coalition with "a Democrats
yesterday brought about the defeat of
the Hoover administration in its first
trial of strength with Congress. The
Senate'S refusal to strike out the de-
benture plan from the McNary farm
bill, as desired by the White House.
means that the Presidents majority
in the Upper House Is not only paper
majority, but tissue paper one.
1t reveals itself as unreliable for
Hoover administration purposes as were
the Republican majorities in the Senate
throughout the Harding and Coolidge
administrations. Counting Ware of
Pennsylvania (not yet seated) there
are Sc Republicans on the Senate roll,
compared to 80 Democrats and Farm
er-Labor member Shipstead of Min
nesota). But events of May 8 show
that this apparent Majority of Is or is
over all is but fleeting shadow.
Most Backed La Toilette.
With the exception of the three men
who were not In the Senate in Fight
ing Bobs" day, his son and successor.
Young Bob" La Toilette, Blaine of
Wisconsin and Nye of North Da-
publican group fought under the old
pTnnraccipn honnnYS
names of Borah, Ilaho; Brookhart.
Iowa; Frazier, North Dakota; Howell,
Nebraska: johnson, California; Nc
Master, South Dakota; Norbeck, South
Dakota; Norris, Nebraska; Pine, Okla
homa, and Schall Minnesota, read pre-
cisely, and in the order named, like
the roster of the original LaFollette
bloc.
1t is made up. for the most part. of
the men who either rallied to La Fol-
lette's third party movement in 1924,
or who fought under his leadership
against regular Republican programs
in Congress. 1t includes several of the
men who were officially read out of
the G.. O. P. for their insurgency and
deprived of committee and other honors
in the Senate.
They were reinstated last year, and
even rewarded with chairmanshipS,
partially with a view to 1928 campaign
exigencies. Now. at their first oppor-
tIInity, they have once again asserted
their independence and refusal to sub
init to the crack of any Republican
party whip. The future possibilities
thus opened up are diSquieting In the
extreme, from the Hoover adminiStra-
tion's standpoint.
BOrah as Independent.
With the exception of Senators Nor
fis, Blaine and La Toilette the deben-
ture-plan insurgents all supported the
Hoover and Curtis ticket and the G.
o. P. platform in 1928. None of them,
Of course, supported them with greater
zeal or more effectiveness than Senator
Borah Of Idaho. Borah undoubtedly
resents the suggestion that because he
has deserted Hoover on the debenture
plan he Is to be catalogued from now
on as an anti ADMINISTRATIONS. On |
the contrary, 1t is just as likely as not |
that tomorrow, or next week, on some |
issue wholly unrelated to agriculture, |
but on which the White Houses heart |
might be set. Borah would be found in
the van of the Presidents supporters.
The Idahoan is like that. He told the
voters OF his State as much the last
time they sent him to the Senate-in
1924. In Q manifesto which aroused
national attention, Borah said to Idaho,
in effect. this: ct am honored to be
one Of your two United States Senators.
] am Republican. But do not, and
never will, wear party collar and t'4us
harness myself blindly to any party
program. If you want . Senator who
likes that kind of o collar and Is willing
to wear it, don't vote foH me-" Out of
a total poll Of $4,000, Borah received
p9,846. He received a mandate to do
about what he pleaSes in Washington,
and he pleaseS to support Republican
measures sometimes.
What the farm debenture defeat
means for President Hoover Is that he
and his Senate leader, Senator "Jim'
Watson of Indiana, have got to go gun
ming for q majority for Republican