The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-16
MINORITY IS
WEAKEST YET
Mild Roast for the Dem
ocratS.
SEEMINGLY NOT WORKING
Newspaper Man Gives His Views
on Present Congress.
Comparisen Is Made Of the Memorable
Fifty-frst Congress when Reed
Was Speaker sad Demo-
crats Won out.
BY ALFRED ). sroFEn.

Washington. March 15.-- Especial. -
Collectively speaking. the Democrats OF
The present House OF Representatives
pconstitute about the weakest minority
party IN Congress during the past quar-
ter Of q century.
And when IL comes to the majority,
there Is corresponding decadence
among the Republicans. However, the
Republicans being directly responsible
for legislation and being in a bad row
Of stuups on account Of the dangers
that are ahead OF them this year. a
considerable number Of. their men Of
longest service are compelled to make
show Of ectivity that would create
an impression throughout the land that
they are rich In statesmen. It IL a well
known fact that more big. brainy men
are aevefoped In Congress on the mi
n0rity aide Of the House than on the
majority. This is Presidential elec-
tion year and there have been oppor-
tunifies for the Democrats to make
recor1s that they do not seem 10 have
taken advantage OF.
There is plenty Of ability on the DEM
ocratic side OF the House. but they do
not appear to have desire to night the
Republicans as they should and hold
them up to the country for the do
nothing policy that the leaders Of the
Republican Party mapped out at the
beginning OF the session.
Army OF Fighters.
How different all this Is from what
went on In the memorable Fifty-first
Congress when Thomas B. Reed, Of
Maine. was Speaker Of the House. Then
the Democrats had an army OF fighters
that contested every inch Of the ground
with the Republicans. and 1t resulted
In the most sweeping victory for the
Democrats thay have had In the Con-
gressfonal elections since the close Of
the civil war. And they had real mon
to line up against when they locked
horns with the lieutenants Of Speaker
EEeea on tAss 3eot II was no easy mat
ter to b3at down the enemy.
In calling attention to the situation.
there Is nosintention to reflect indlvidu-
ally on the Democrats in this House.
But taken as whole they are known
to be throwing away opportunities that
would have been seized eagerly by the
minority members in the first Reed
Congress and In the subsequent Con-
crosses when Reed was Speaker.
Candor compeis the statement that
there are not ten Democrats in this
House who remain constantly on the
floor to assume a leading position in
trying to force the Republicans to per-
init legislation that Is demanded by the
country. There is too much absentee
ism for the good OF the party--not nee
essarily absent from the city. but not
as regular attendants upon the sessions
OF the House as they should be.
A great many speeches have been
made this session by the Democrats
and they are being sent out to the dis
tricts by the hundreds of thousands.
But comparatively few of these speech
es had TO do with the legislation that
ought or ought not to be put on the
statute books. Many of the speeches
have been general attacks upon Presi-
dent Roosevelt nMid those prominently
Identified with his administration. 9TH
ers have been aimed at the trusts.
Some have related to the tarin, al
though no chance has been given to
speak directly on any bill nelating d.
rectly or indirectly to that subject.
Speeches PubIiahea.
Scores OF speeches have been sent
out that were extended In the Record
after a member had the floor for only
a few minutes. Leave to print has also
been freely granted by thu Republican
managers who are glad that members
on both sides resort to that course
rather than take the time to deliver the
speeches There has been more Of this
sort of business than ever known here.
Alphabetically by States. here is the
list Of Democrats who In the Fifty-first
Congress in spite of the drastic rules
drafted by Speaker Reed. remained all
most constantly on the floor, and took
q leading part in demanding the rights
Of their party and insisting that the
Republicans had been weighed and
found wanting. and which the voters
accepted as a fact:
Forney. Herbert and oates. of Ala
bnma.
Clifton r. Breckenridge. McFaae. Rog-
ers and Peel. of Arkansas.
Crisp. Turner. Clements and Blount.
Of Georgia.
Springer. Fithian and williams. Of
Illinois.
Holman. Bynum and shiveIy. of In
diana.
Montgomery. McCreary. Paynter and Ca
ruth, of Kentucky.
Blanchard. of Louisiana.
Rusk and Compton, of Maryland.
O'Neill, Of Massachusetts,.
whiting, of Michigan.
Catchings and Hooker. OF Mississippi.
Bland, Hatch. Dockery and Tarnsey.
of Missouri.
McAdoo, OF New Jersey.
Cummings. Spinola. Flower and Ira
cey, OF New York.
Outhwaite, of Ohio.
Randall, Mutchler, Buckalew. Kerr
and Maish, of Pennsylvania.
Hemphill and George ID. Tillman, of
South Carolina.
McAfilIin. Richardson. Washington
EnIoe and Pierce. OF Tennessee.
Mills. David B. culberson, Gather OF
the present Senator). Sayers, Ktlgore.
and Grain. of Texas.
OFerrall and Wise. of Virginia.
William l.. Wilson, of West Virginia
No such Army Now.
There is no such army OF lighters for
.he democrats now. The Democrats
an those days remained steadily al
thair posts TO encourage the leaders
snd hack them up with their votes
even though they knew that the Re-
nuhIicans had the power to override
tham. But the Republicans were put
On record. They were held UP to the
country. and the exposures resulted In
= sweeping Democratic victory In the
Congressional election of 1890.
grh. namocrats as Is we'll known