Evening star., 1953-08-02
Congress

morning, in a New York hospital.
Robert Alphonso Taft of Ohio, one
of the most widely respected Amer
lean statesmen, died of the cancer
that had forced him earlier this
session to relinquish leadership Of
the Senate.
There were many men, in Con-
greSS and out, who disagreed vio-
lently with the policies and prin-
cipleS of the 63-year- Cincin-
natl lawyer. But there were few
who would deny that he had both
policies and principles-and stuck
to them.
Despite the fact that he was, at
Republican conventions, three
times a bridesmaid and never a
bride, Senator Taft remained "Mr.
Republican" until the day he died.
The esteem in which he was
held was attested by Senate de-
cision yesterday to hold state
funeral for Senator Taft. His
body will lie in the Capitol ro-
tunda this afternoon to be viewed
by the public. There will be
state funeral in the rotunda Mon
day. Burial will be in Cincinnati.
Senator Taft's father also had
a state funeral, as have such great
Americans as Abraham Lincoln,
Admiral Dewey, President McKin-
ley, President Garfield and Thad-
deus Stevens, a member of the
House of Representatives.
Senator Taft's death posed five
potential problems for politicians.
/. The Democratic Governor Of
Ohio, Frank Lausche, would have
to appoint a successor. Would he
name a Republican to take the
place of the deceased Republican,
or would he name Democrat?
(Gov. Lausche is not a down-the-
liner on party mattersD
2. If Gov. Lausche appointed a
Democrat, Senator Wayne Morse,
oregon ex-Republican who now
styles himself an independent,
would have to decide whether to
align himself with Democrats or
Republicans on a possibly crucial
vote on organization. (Senator
Morse has indicated he would vote
with the Republicans, but his mer-
curial behavior this session leaves
the matter in doubt,)
3. If Morse should throw his sup
port to the Democrats, giving them
a 49-47 division assuming the vir-
tual certainty that the seat of the
late Senator Tobey of New Hamp-
shire will be filled by Republi-
cam, the Democrats would have
to decide whether they wanted to
reorganize the Senate.
4. If the Democrats decided not
to reorganize the Senate, the Re-
publicans would have to appoint a
new majority leader. The senior
Republican in the upper house,
President Pro Tempore Styles
Bridges of New Hampshire, already
is on record as not wanting the
majority leadership. The acting
majority leader, william Know
land of California, who would like
the job, ranks 18th among Repub-
licans. He seems one of the best
bets, however, since only a few
potential majority leaders outrank
him. Outstanding among these is
Eugene Millikin, 81, of Colorado,
whose service ranks him fifth
among Senate Republicans. But
Senator Millikin's reported i'll
health probably would force him
out of the running.
S. Entirely aside from Senate or
ganization, the Republicans would
have to agree on chairman for
the G. o. P. Policy Committee in
case Senator Knowland becomes
majority leader. 1t is the unenvi-
able job of this functionary to weld
together the diSsident branches Of
Senate Republicanism and chart
for them a course all can follow.
There is a possibility that Senator
Millikin would take on this job,
which requires tough mind
rather than a tough constitution
and Gene Millikin is one of the
toughest-m minded of Senators.
It was a virtual certainty this
week end that regardless of wheth-
er Gov. Lausche names Demo-
crat or a Republican, the Senate
will continue to be run by Repub-
licans. The Senate Democratic
leadership has no desire to rock
the governmental boat just at this
time by making trouble for Presi-
dent Eisenhower. And on a less
exalted plane, the Democrats have
no wish to help the Republican
President pile up an impressive Re-
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