The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-18
DEMOCRATS ARE ON DANGEROUS GROUND Are Playing Small Politics
 Now PORK BARREL" BILLS
  MT. Underwood Trying To Stop Tide of Bills Which Mean Disarrang-
 ing of Democratic Pro- gramme
PORK BARREL" BILLS


 There are signs of a drop from big politics to little politics on the dem ocratic side of the House of Repre- sentatives. The leaders are In nowise pleased at the indications Unless they are able to check the movement they can see slipping from under them the ground on which they attained at the special session last summer. with con- sequential lowering Of the party level in the campaign of 1912.
 oscar w. Underwood, their leader, had more than one hard fight during the extra session to keep his colleagues keyed up to the big opportunity before the party, yet he succeeded. His suc- cess was due to the policy adopted by the party at the outset, that of ex- cluding from consideration everything but a few big matters. Thus the tariff was set up as tho guiding star and the House stuck to the tariff The extra session closed with the party record clearly and cleanly written and with the democrats stronger from the standpoint of political strategy than they were at the outset.
 It was MT. Underwood's intention, at the present session, to keep the tariff constantly in the forefront and to at- tempt little else, except the passage of the necessary appropriation bills.
 The winter programme was to in clude an onslaught against the Payne Aldrich tariff, under the generalship of MT. Underwood, and an attack on de- partmental extravagance, under the leadership of Chairman Fitzgerald, of the appropriations committee, aided by the heads of other committees which deal with money bills. Tariff and econ omy were the watchwords. Some trust Legislation was considered possible, al though not probable, because of lack of time for dealing with such a big subject.
 The tariff programme is not under way yet, although if soon will be start ed Mir Underwood has been waiting to hear from the President and the tariff board. The economy programme is not only below the horizon, but it looks as if the House already had made it impossible for 1t ever to rise.
 Pension and pork barrel Legislation havo raced to the front with the legis- lative bit in their teeth with Under wood, Fitzgerald and other conserva- a- tive leaders hanging onto the reins and trying to Stop the runaway. They may succeed before the session is over, but that remains to be seen.
 Whatever may be the merits of the Sherwood pension -bill 1t was a direct violation of the economy principle of the democrats. It may add $75, 1000, ,000 year to the government expenditures. It was passed by congressman who be- lieve the old soldiers vote in their re- spectiVe districts may be captured thereby.
 It takes courage to fight a pension bill, but the farseeing leaders of the democrats tried to instill it into the rank and file. They failed. Pension Legislation looks good to the majority party in the House.
 And now the public building bill is to be trotted out This is pure and simple pork barrel legislation. It may carry $40,000,0O0 Nobody claims there is any statesmanship in 1t, or that there is anything constructive about it. ex- cept the construction of fine edifices in hopeful towns all over the coun- try.
 Later on there will be another pork barrel to De tapped, unless the leaders can head off the present scramble This will come in connection with appropria- tions for rivers and harbors.
 If these bills are to become laws. the regular appropriation bills, which provide for carrying on the functions of the government, will have to be cut to mere skeletons in order to enable the democrats to say they have prac- tced economy. But there is a point beyond which they cannot be shaved without impairing the efficiency of the departments Therefore, unless the present tide can be stemmed there will be no economy whatever at this ses- sion of Congress and there will be a democratic issue listed among inc missing when the presidential fight next year begins.
 More than this the conservative demo- crats recognize that the adoption of tariff bills that will sacrifice any of the present revenue is out of the oues- tion if these expenditures are allowed to be authorized. One of the most seri- ous criticisms on the Underwood meas ures last session was that they pro vided for a cut in revenue when no such cut could be afforded The pro- posed bills will carry this condition very much further This will necessI- tate a revision of the legislative pro- gramme so as to include some heavy internal revenue taxation based prob ably on large increase in the corpor- ation tax and perhaps taking in some nau claccaS nf internal ,a,rapn1 ,1...t.--