The Eighth Ballot

Like the House, the Senate had a triangular squabble. Each side proposed members for committees and all were accepted without question except the Chairman of the Interstate Commerce Committee--Senator A. B. Cummins of Iowa, President pro tern. The fact that Mr. Cummins held both posts was made the reason for objections by the insurgent Republicans, who dearly wanted one of their own members as Chairman, notably Senator La Follette, who is next in seniority to Mr. Cummins. Senator Wheeler of Montana, a Democrat but a member of the La

Follette group, led the insurgent fight, although he voted not for La Follette but for the Democratic candidate, Senator Smith of South Carolina. For four days the balloting continued without result:

Ballots Cummins La Follette Smith First............ 41 7 39 Second.................. 39 7 38 Third............ 41 7 39 Fourth ............ 41 7 39 Fifth........... 39 7 39 Sixth............ 41 7 39 Seventh.............. 40 3 40 Eighth............. 39 2 41 Ninth............ 40 2 41 Tenth.............. 43 6*--/- Eleventh.......... 41 l*--/- Twelfth................ 39 11/- Thirteenth............. 39 12/-38 Fourteenth............... 38 12/- 38 voting nearly ended at the eighth ballot. Brookhart, Frazier, Howell, Ladd, Norris, Republican insurgents, voted consistently for La Follette (who was ill and not present). With them voted the Farmor-Laborites, Shipstead and Magnus Johnson. On the seventh ballot all the insurgent group except Howell, Ladd and Norris voted for the Democratic candidate. On the eighth ballot, Ladd joined those voting for Smith--and Smith would have been elect--! had not Senator William Cabell Bruce of Maryland, a Democrat, voted for Senator Cummins.

Senator Wheeler declared: "I feel that any Democrat who votes for Senator Cummins is a traitor. . . ."

Senator Bruce explained: "I changed my vote from Senator Smith to Senator Cummins simply because it seemed to me that the Democratic members of the Senate had arrived at a point in the deadlock at which they were merely playing into the hands of the La Follette Magnus Johnson Brookhart radical element. ... I decided that the inevitable split between the conservative and radical members of the Senate had come, and that it was time for me to obey my profoundest instincts and convictions and to part company for a time with other Democratic Senators. ... As far as I am concerned, it might as well be understood now as later that no boat has room enough to hold Senator La Follette and his adherents and me."

After the close eighth ballot and an almost equally close ninth, Mr. Bruce had apparently averted the greatest danger. The insurgents began experimenting with various progressive candidates. Mr. Couzens gained favor and secured the votes of Borah, Gooding, Norbeck, Jones. Mr. Cummins also voted (for the first time) for Mr. Couzens, the object being to prevent a sudden shift of the insurgents from naming Smith. With a fifth day of balloting in sight the 'deadlock continued.

* For Senator Howell. t For Senator Couzens.