Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-03
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

the present article is to consider what
would be The consequences of the vari-
Gus possible outcomes.
Ley us consider the Senate first. In
the beginning we must understand the
phrase control of the Senate" That
control of the Senate" IN the sense
of organizing it, electing its officials,
naming committees and the like. The
second meaning of the phrase is "con-
troll of the Senate in the sense of
controlling legislation.
In the present Senate. are AZ regular
Republicans and Is insurgent Repub-
licans and 80 Democrats. We may
count the one Farmer-Labor Senator
with the insurgent Republicans. In
this combination the insurgent Repub-
licans are the deciding factor If the
insurgent Republicans side with the
regular Republicans then the regular
Republicans have more than ma
jority (Which is 49, But If the in
surgent Republicans side with the
Democrats then the Democrats have a
majority.
Insurgents Have Power.
The fact is the insurgent Republicans
use their power in discriminating
way. That Is, they use 1t discriminat-
ingly in their own interest. When it
is matter of organizing the Senate,
the insurgent Republicans are perfectly
orthodox Republicans. During that
two or three hours at the beginning of
every new Senate the insurgent Repub-
licans are as regular as any Repub-
hcanS could be. The Is inSurgent Re-
publicans unite with the AZ regular Re-
publicans; the two groups combined
make comfortable ma jority; and with
this majority the combination organ
ICES the Senate and takes the offices
for themselves.
A good many perquisites and much
power go with organizing the Senate.
The party that organizes the Senate
lsgets, for example, all the committee
chairmanships and all the leading
places on the committees. If a given
committee has IL members, the party
that organizes the Senate gets the
Craftsmanship and all the first six
places, while the minority party gets
the last five places.
When the committee is taking Inn
portant actions the top six will some
times meet alone, Keeping the lower
| f1ve, belonging to the minority party,
out of the room With dominance of
the committees goes possession of de-
sirable committee rooms, extra allot-
ments of clerks complete control of
the Senate patronage, the appoint
ment of sergeant-at-armS, pages and
the like.
Sometimes Join Enemy"
And so. for the purpose of organic
ing the Senate, and for that purpose
alone. speaking broadly, the insurgent
Republicans become regular Repub-
licans for the two or three hours until
organization is completed. Thereafter,
during the remainder of that Senate,
the insurgent Republicans as a rule
or certainly very frequently-join with
the Democrats.
In this explanation of control of
the Senate" for the purpose of organ
ization only, have spoken invidiously
of the inslrgent Republicans. I have
spoken as If they alone were, guilty of
something in the nature of dissimula-
ton for an hour or two at the Begin
ming of each Senate. To a large ex-
tent that is consistent with the facts.
But, of course, it is TRUE that the
regular Republicans, If they should
choose, could refuse to cooperate with
the insurgent Republicans for the pur-
pose of organizing the Senate. The
regular Republicans could decline CO.
operation that exists only for the pur-
pose Of getting the perquisites and
lasts only until the perquisites are al
If they were moved by certain quail,
ties take a position at the opening of
the Senate which position they could
express as follows. They could say, in
effect:
I'VE have not got working control
of the Senate for the purpose of legis-
lation, because the insurgent Repub-
licans vote with the Democrats. mas
much as We have not got control for
the purpose of legislation, we decline TO
accept control for the purpQse of organ
izing. In short, since We have not
got the power to control legislation, we
refuse to accept the responsibility
for it."
Issue Of Responsibility.
The regular Republicans, continuing,
could address the insurgent Republi-
cans thus:
''You vote with the Democrats, there
fore We insist that you act as Demo-
Gratis. We, as regular Republicans, can
not control the Senate in matters of
legislation. Therefore, we say that the
Democrats and insurgent Republicans
must accept responsibility before the
country. The country must see the sit
uation as it is The country must see
and understand that the real majority
which controls this Senate consists of
the Democrats and the insurgent Re-
publicans. Now, therefore, we insist that
You Democrats and you insurgent Re-
publicans get together and organize the
Senate. We decline to organize it."
The regular Republicans could take
that position. The taking of such po-
sition has been seriously discussed. It
has been recommended by thoughtful
persons. But the regular Republicans
have never done 1t. They are not like
ly ever to do It, The reason is that II
they did they would lose the desirable
committee chairmanships and the
other desirable patronage and per-
quisites.
With this explanation let us turn to
the present status of the Senate as re-
spectS legislation. In this respect the
actual present majority of the Senate
consists of the combination of 80 Dem
ocrats and Is insurgent Republicans.
Present Senate Status.
That is the present status in the
Senate, q majority adverse to the Re-
publicans. Let us now consider how
this status smay be affected by the
election in November.
The practically certain answer is that
the status will not be affected at all.
There will be slight changes on the
margins of al three groups. But the
aggregate OF the changes-the net-al-
most certainly will not affect the pres
ent status of the Senate which. to re-
peat, is one in which the majority, for
purposes of legislation, consists of a
combination of Democrats and insur-
gent Republicans.
or the AZ regular Republican seats,
IL are to be filled in November. OF
these II contests for seats now held by
Republicans. they are fairly certain 20
lose anywhere from 3 to 5. AS an off,
set, the Republicans are likely to gain
at least one seat now held by a Demo-
Graf