The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-12-03
UNDERWOOD GOES
| To WASHINGTON
TODAY FOR SESSION
Talks About Things That Will
Probably Be Done By
Republicans
DEMOCRATS TO HAVE
SOME ADVANTAGES
II Present Congress Apportions Menu
hers Democratic Legislatures Will
Have Pleasant Task of Read
justing the Districts

rhe Congress of the United States meets
next Monday for the last session of the
Slxty-6rst Congress and the last session
of a republican Congress, possibly, fol
some years to come will expire on March
next.
Congressman Oscar w. Underwood
leaves for Washington this morning or
the Birmingham special over the South
ern railway and will be on hand to see
Speaker Cannon for the last time order
the roll called to ascertain If a quorum
is present before the work of the ses-
sion begins.
Mr.. Underwood yesterday, answering
the question as to what would be done
this winter said
I'VE, of course, will have plenty OF
work to do in passing the great supply
bills that make the appropriations to run
the government. The appropriations now
amount to about $40 100000 each ses-
sion. great deal of time is consumed
in passing these bills and Congress has
to drive them fast and hard to get them
through at the short session, when we
have only 80 days in which to work.
ASlue iTOlll Tie dppiopiibtio piiio
do not expect to see much done at the
coming session. The republicans will
have control until March next and will
naturally feel that, having been repudiat-
ell by the country, they are no longer
responsible for new legislation.
Il do not expect to see any tariff leg
islation at this session. A large ma
jority of the republican representatives
and stand-patters believe in the Payne
tariff bill and do not want to see 1t re-
pealed or altered and naturally the DEM
ocrats in the House, where all reve-
nue. bills must originate, would prefer
to wait until the next Congress when
they are in full control of the House,
before they start a revision of the tariff
downward, as they surely will do when
the time comes.
IF the census bureau completed the
enumeration of the population of the
United States in time, this session OF
Congress. will have the right to appor-
tior the, representation in Congress to
the several states, based on their popu-
lation.
1T am inclined to believe 1t will be
to the advantage of the democratic party
to have the apportonment made at this
session, Notwithstanding it will be writ
ten by our adversaries. The Congress
can only say how many members each
state shall have to represent them anu
are compelled to follow the census re-
turns. Sometimes some advantage car
be obtained by agreeing to a member
ship of the House that when divided into
the total population of the United States
will make the majority fraction fall most
" in republican states and thereby gain
a vote or two in the presidential election
But when the Congress has made the ap-
pcrtionment the state legislatures fix the
districts.
Ten years ago all the northern states
had republican legislatures and they
gerrymandered the districts so as to
throw the strong democratic counties to-
gether, made a few absolutely safe DEM
ocratic districts by large majorities and
all the rest of the districts republican
by a safe majority so that under nor
NAL conditions it was almost impossible
for the democrats to carry the House
of Representatives.
This winter conditions are reversed.
When the legislatures meet this winter
many of them in the north will be con-
trolled by the democratic party. Maine,
New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana
and many others stand with us: Ii the
apportionment is made this winter our
people in these important states Will nix
the districts and we will get square
deal which we did not get ten years ago.
II the apportionment is put off until
another election we may lose some Oh
these states and lose our advantage In
making up the districts. So, from party
standpoint, it seems to me that 1t would
be wise to make the apportionment this
winter"