Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-11-21 | Page 13 | Penrose Facing Party Revolt

PENROSE FACING PARTYJEVOLT Special to The Tribune. WASHINGTON, Nov. 20. The newly developed Republican insurrection In the senate, designed to prevent the selection of Seriator Penrose of Pennsylvania as chairman of the finance committee after March 4, may possibly, though not probably, prob-ably, result In the elevation of Senator Smoot to that high office. JCnough Republicans are arrayed against Penrose to make his election aa chairman of finance- an impossibility, though to accomplish this it may bo necessary nec-essary for the anti-Penrose Republicans to allow the rvmocrats to organize 1 lie next senate. The situation is so serious that Republican senators have been conferring con-ferring constantly, and a move is now under way to taring about a compromise which will eliminate Penrose. With Penrose Pen-rose out of the way. Senator Smoot would be considered. He is now fourth Republican member, being ranked by Penrose, Lod.ge and' McOumbor. L,odgo likely will be made chairman of the foreign for-eign re I a I i o n s committee and will no t Ijo available for finance McCumber is not big enough to bo chairman of the finance committer, and stands no show, thus leaving Smoot a possibility. However, many of the objections raised to Senator Penroso would be raised against Senator Smoot, and if Penrose Is sidetracked by the Republicans, the nrobabllii ies are that ; Smoot may have rough sledding. j Republicans are beginning to realize that their party would go into the next campaign heavily handicapped if Senator Penrose were chairman of the finanfe committee, and the Idea of defending or having to defend a Penrose lariff bill, because of Penrose's reputation, Is more than tho average Republican senator carf,s to tackle. During the days wdien the Payne-Aldrich Payne-Aldrich bill was being redrafted in' the senate. Smoot was Aldrtch's right bower and chief dependence, being even more active than wis Senator Penroso him-S'-lf. "Because of his past affiliations with Aldrich and with Penrose on tariff legislation leg-islation and because his views are largely in accord with those of these two priest's of high protection, Senator Smoot probably prob-ably wiil not lie made chairman of tho finance committee, though there- is a possibility pos-sibility ho might bo selected.