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Show SENATE DEiOCBJTS FIT FOR CONTROL By Internationa I Js'cws Servico. WASHINGTON, Dec, 2S. The flsht to put tho control of tho senate In tho hands of tho progressive Democrats, who constitute a majority of tho party, Is practically won. Tho chief reactionaries now cro willing to mako a humblo surrender sur-render if they may only retain their prized chairmanships. If they do after-March after-March -t It will bo by tho grace of tho progressives. Tho reactionaries who uro In line for the principal chairmanships aro Bacon fGeorgla), foreign relations; Tillman ffa'outh Carolina), appropriations; Bank-head Bank-head ( Alabama), agriculture: Martin (Virginia), commerce: Simmons (North Carolina), finance: John Walter Smith (Maryland), naval affairs, and Johnston (Alabama), military affaire. All aro from the south. Tho only progressive who would bo In line for a chairmanship unless tho "system" "sys-tem" Is overturned. Is Nowlands of Nevada, Ne-vada, who will get tho Interstate commerce com-merce committee. Tho hold of theso reactionaries Is not alono over tho committees of which thny are chairman. They are ranking mom-bers mom-bers on tho other Important committees and In that wny are always chosen for conferences, which gives them absoluto control over all legislation, regardless of the committee from which it emanates. Tho progressives have notified all theso senators that if they are permitted to retain re-tain the chairmanships to which tho seniority pystcm entitles thorn, they must give up their leading places on evory other committee and each of these reactionaries re-actionaries has agreed that this shall be done. This, If carried out, will relievo tho senate from tho rule of a small coterie. It has required srrcat moral courago for Democratic senators to attack a system that has grown fctronger through more than a hundred yearn. Not moro than half a dozen years ago tho Idea of attacking at-tacking seniority nilo would have been termed madness, and the senator who attempted at-tempted It would havo ben ostracised. |