Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-28
Organizing the Next Congress.


ganiEation of the House and Senate
in the next Congress have gene up
from disgruntled Republican members
of both bodies. When the Republicans
of the House met in party caucus
Thursday night it was found that
about eighteen of the members who will
sit in the Seventy-second Congress
were absent Rumors have been spread
that the absentees, or a part of them,
might decline to vote for Speaker
Longworth's reelection and for the re-
election of Majority Leader Tilson.
The probabilities are, however. that
both Speaker Longworth and Col. Til
son will be found occupying their pres
ent Offices in the House organization
when the next Congress gets down to
work Only one member of the House,
Representative McGugin of Kansas. is
reported actually to have declared that
he will vote for Representative Garner
of Texas, the Democratic leader of the
House. when the speakership fight
comes on.
Party boilers in matters of organiza-
ton usually do not find themselves pop
ular, either with their old friends of
the parties to which they have given
allegiance in the past or with the men,
bers of the opposition to whom they
have turned in their wrath. There Is
no reason to believe that the Democrats
will welcome with open arms Mr.. Nc
Gugin of Kansas, or any other Repub-
licans, in the organization of the next
House. If the Democrats had elected a
majority of the House in the last cleo
ton, they would quite naturally go
Congress. But the election returns
showed that 2l8 Republicans had been
chosen, ZIG Democrats and l Farmer
Labor member, giving the Republicans
a majority, though by a narrow margin.
Democratic members Of the House say
quite frankly that they have no desire
to hook up with disgruntled Republic
ans in the selection of the next Speaker.
If they did, they would never be sure
that the control was in their hands.
The Republican deserters would be in a
position to upset their apple cart at any
time. 1t Is quite conceivable that
enough Democrats will be absent when
the roll is called TO permit the election
of a Republican Speaker, even though
there are "bolters" from the Longworth
ticket on the G.. o. P. side.
1t is conceivable that group Of dis
gruntled Republican members of the
House might place in nomination for
Speaker one of their own number. Such
move might bring about a deadlock
in the selection of Speaker. A Speak
er can be elected only by a majority
vote in the House. The House has
faced such deadlocks in the past.
In the Senate the Republicans have
just 48 seats in the next Con-
gress, or one-half. The Democrats have
one less, and the Farmer-Labor party,
one. Despite this almost even division,
politically, the Republicans are expected
TO organize the Senate. Should two
Republican Senators die in States which
now have Democratic Governors, who,
by appointment, could bring the Demo-
cratic membersh' of the Senate up
to 40, an actual majority, another
face would be placed upon the situation.
Under those conditions the Democrats
might, and probably would, go ahead
and organize the Senate, although it
has been obvious that some of the
Democratic leaders are ayerse at this
time TO take control of either house of
Congress, fearing that they might be
held responsible, in part, If affairs went
badly in the country.
There is an impelling factor in hold
ing members of Congress in line in
matters of organization. The party
which organizes gets the big plums in
the matter OF committee assignments.
The insurgent Republicans of the
Senate, some of whom are chairmen
and others high ranHfng members OF
standing committees, have no desire TO
Ielinquish these places TO the Demo-
Gratis. Furthermore, general election
follows the next session Of Congress, a
fact which will tend to tighten party
lines In the organization of the houses
of Congress.