Evening star., 1948-10-24
Democrats Must Get
Better Than Split to
Reorganize
By }. A. o'Leory
Star Stoff Correspondent


Senate has caused many politicians
to ask:
what would happen If the Re-
publicans and Democrats wind up in
a ties to 4s? Who would control
the Senator"
The answer is simple. According
to the best-informed sources on
Senate rules, the Republicans would
retain control.
The explanation is equally simple.
The Senate, unlike the House,
is a continuing body. Only one
third of its members come up for
election every two years, and when
the next Congress eonvenes January
I3, the other two-thirds will be full
f1edged Senators, qualified to meet
and transact business.
Furthermore, all officers and ccm-
mittee members who are not up Tor
reelection this year, continue to
serve until majority of the Senate
votes to replace them.
Tie Vote Kills Motion
Since, under Senate procedure,
any motion fails on q tie vote, If the
Democrats came out Of this elec-
ton with no better than an even
division of Senate seats, they would
not be able to put over a motion to
reorganize that branch Of Congress.
In these closing days Of the cam
paiga some politicians, recognizing
that the Senate in a real battle
ground, have been conjuring up all
sorts of complications that might
grow out of tie. Some Republican
sympathizers have been under the
impression that if the returns show
Dewey and Warren elected. but with
the Senate equally divided, the Sen
ate might have to stall around from
January 3 until Vice President War
rem was sworn in on January 20, 50
that he could vote to break the tie.
But the judgment Of the most
reliable sources on parliamentary
procedure Is that this would not be
necessary. 1t is true that the
constitution gives the Vice Presi-
dent the right to vote to break a
tie. But, since a Democratic mo-
ton to elect a new presiding
officer or new committee chairmen
would fail on a tie vote, the Vice
Presidents vote would not be
needed to decide the issue.
Vandenberg to Preside
OF course, later on. when the
Republicans were trying to put
through their legislative program
and a tie resulted In the Senate, the
Vice Presidents vote would put 1t
across.
But, since the Republicans would
have control Of the Senate, their
only interest would be in defeating
motions to reorganize, and q tie vote
would accomplish that purpose.
Fortunately for the Republicans,
the present presiding officer,
Senator Vandenberg of Michigan, is
not up for reelection this year, so
he will be able to call the Senate
to order January 8.
The congressional reorganization
act provides for the appointment of
committees every two years when
a new Congress meets, but, accord
ing to the parliamentary experts,
it also has a saving clause under
which committees continue until
their successors are named. There
would be some vacancies on COM
mittees at the start Of the session,
however, growing out Of the defeat
of any Senators running for re-
election this year.
Need Clear Majority
All of this indicates that the
Democrats will have to elect clear
ma jority to take over the reins in
the Senate.
Even If the Democrats came out
Of the election with 40 Senators to
Al Republicans, there are two
factors which might enable the
Republicans to hold control of the
Senate for the time being.
One is the poor health Of Demo-
cratic Senator Wagner Of New York,
which kept him away from the
Senate nearly all Of this year.
Two. is the possibility, on which
Republicans are speculating, that
a contest might develop over the
seating Of Representative Lyndon
johnson, Democratic nominee for
the Senate in Texas. growing out Of
his close primary race against Coke
Stevenson.
The first order of business in the
Senate on January is the swear
ing-in of Senators elected this
year, and if the johnson Steven
son controversy does not subside in
the meantime, it is entirely possible
some Senator might ask that Mr..
johnson stand aside pending study
of the dispute.
May Challenge Texas
If that happened and Senator
Wagner was not able to 60 to WASH
ington, the Democrats would have
difficulty organizing the Senate.
A challenge growing out Of the
Texas election could touch of q
debate that would tie the Senate
up for days without swearing in
half of the new Senators. Such a
tieup occurred at the start Of the
Eightieth Congress, when the late