Start of the 68th Congress

The 68th Congress was, although not a Democratic Congress, one that was far more ideologically competitive than the overwhelmingly Republican 67th Congress given the election results, and Speaker Frederick Gillett (R-Mass.) faced a serious challenge to his leadership at the start. Although big city districts turned Republican in the 1920 election, many reverted back to their Democratic ways, especially in New York City. Democrats also got a boost in the Midwest, which was continuing to struggle to the post-war environment for agriculture, which was marked by excesses in production and thus low food prices. Measures supported by progressives included reducing the power of railroads through the Howell-Barkley bill and prohibiting them from placing a Pullman car surcharge on tickets. They also pushed for a veterans’ bonus bill that became law after Congress overrode President Coolidge’s veto. There was also an interesting focus on conservation regarding salmon fishing and migratory bird refuges. The Senate also considered repealing the Railroad Labor Board, which was defeated. There were a number of notable deaths in this session as well, such as Majority Leader Henry Cabot Lodge (R-Mass.) and the suicide of Frank Brandegee (R-Conn.). You might also note a significant exclusion, and that is of the Child Labor Amendment. The issue of child labor is primarily regional, as prohibitions impacted the South much deeper than the North.

The scoring of legislators, per MC-Index:

House

100%:

Merritt, R-Conn.
Britten, R-Ill.
Moores, R-Ind.
Guyer, R-Kan.
Winslow, R-Mass.
Underhill, R-Mass.
Leach, R-Mass.
Anderson, R-Minn.
Bacon, R-N.Y.
Mills, R-N.Y.
Ward, R-N.Y.
Parker, R-N.Y.
Snell, R-N.Y.
Snyder, R-N.Y.
Hall, R-N.D.
Butler, R-Penn.
Watson, R-Penn.
Phillips, R-Penn.
Magee, R-Penn.

0%:

Hill, D-Ala.
Steagall, D-Ala.
Jeffers, D-Ala.
Oliver, D-Ala.
Allgood, D-Ala.
Almon, D-Ala.
Reed, D-Ark.
Park, D-Ga.
Upshaw, D-Ga.
Lee, D-Ga.
Thomas, D-Ky.
Wolff, D-Mo.
McNulty, D-N.J.
O’Brien, D-N.J.
Dickstein, D-N.Y.
Stevenson, D-S.C.
Schafer, R-Wis.

Senate

100%:

Means, R-Colo.
Bingham, R-Conn.
Fernald, R-Me.
Moses, R-N.H.
Wadsworth, R-N.Y.
Reed, R-Penn.
Metcalf, R-R.I.
Smoot, R-Utah

0%:

Heflin, D-Ala.
Ashurst, D-Ariz.
Trammell, D-Fla.
Harris, D-Ga.
Stanley, D-Ky.
Wheeler, D-Mont.
Jones, D-N.M.
Simmons, D-N.C.
Mayfield, D-Tex.
La Follette, R-Wis.

MC-Index for 68th Congress:

68th Congress MC-Index Vote Descriptions: