Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-12
ELECT|NG SPEAKER
MAY Be HARD TASK
FOR REPUBLICANS
G. 0. P. insurgents viii Have
Balance of Power That
Must Be Recognized.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

ne tSSpuDllCan members oil the House
have not only the job of selecting a new
candidate for Speaker in place of the
late Speaker Nicholas Longworth, they
have also the job of picking candidate
who can be elected Speaker
The chances are that when the House
assemblies next December the Repub-
licans will still have a nominal ma
jority Of one. 1t is true there are va
cancies in two Republican congressional
districts today. the Longworth district
in Ohio and the old Cooper district in
Wisconsin. There may be vacancies in
other Republican districts before Con-
gress meets. But the chances are that
Republicans will BE- elected to succeed
to these House seats The tide ran
strongly against the G. o. P. in the cleo
ton last Fall. 1t is not likely to run any
more strongly in the by-elections which
are to be held.
But when the House is called to order
with a ajority of one for the Repub-
licans, the fight is by no means won.
While the insurgent Republicans in the
House have not created as much stir in
recent years as have the insurgent Re-
publicans IN the Senate. 1t was princi-
pally becau + they did not have as great
an opportunity to Gauss trouble The
last House, for example. was overwhelm-
ngly Republican. The ProgressiVes or
insurgents among the Republicans did
not hold the balance of power as the
Progressive Republicans did in the SEN
ate. Next December, however, the pic
ture will be entirely changed The in
surgents on the Republican side of ti,t
chamber will have the balance of power
and one or two of them, declining to
follow their party leadership. could bring
about the election of Representative
jack Garner Of Texas as Speaker.
Can Tilson Be Elected?
The Republicans. therefore. are faced
with the conundrum, Can Represent
alive John @. Tilson of Connecticut.
the majority leader. be elected Speaker
under such circumstances" Mr.. TIL
son appears to be the logical selection
Tor the nomination for Speaker. If
nominated by the Republicans in the
last Congress he could have been elected
overwhelmingly But how do the pro-
greSsiye Republicans look upon the pro-
posal TO elevate Mr.. Tilson to the
Speakership? Some of them are strong
ly opposed to such action today, al
though they may in the end come to
support the Connecticut man If he is
the party candidate Committee as
signments have their meaning for pro-
gressive members of the House as well
as for Republican regulars.
Tllson was an important member Of
the Republican triumvirate in the last
House. Many clever political play
was handled, in the vernacular of base
ball. Smell to Tilson to Longworth. "
Representative Bertrand Smell OF New
York, as chairman of the powerful
Rules Committee. brought in the special
rules for consideration of legislation,
following consultation with the leaders.
Tilson lined up the forces and the late
Speaker welded the gayel
This triumyirate was in the bad
books Of the progressive group. 1t was
learned yesterday from a progressive
Republican source that enough votes
had been pledged by insurgents against
the late Speaker Longworth to make
his reelection impossible. This was
contrary to the general Supposition
which has been to the effect that
Speaker Longworth was the strongest
candidate who could have been put for
ward for the speakership by the Repub-
licans.
PrOgressiveS Are Factor.
If the progressives were counting on
stopping" the late Speaker. will they
not also count on preventing the cleo
ton of Mr. Tilson or Mr. Smell should
they be nominated? This is a question
which some OF the Republicans Of the
House already are considering.
Undoubtedly under ordinary circum-
stances the majority leader Mr.. Tilson,
could have the nomination for Speaker
II he wanted it. He is popular and well
liked by his colleagues But, as it was
put by one Republican yesterday. the
G. o. p. in the House must determine
when it meets in caucus next Fall
whether it will go TO the mat with a
candidate who may not be elected be-
| cause he cannot receive the support OF
the entire Republican membership OF
the House, or with candidate who
can receive that support.
This raises the question, which Re-
| publican members Of the House If nomi-
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