The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-27
'CONGRESSMEN ID ]. BEGIN REAL WORK AGAIN NEXT WEEK
 ---- Second Session of 62d Con- gress Starts at Noon
 Monday
MEMBERS OF BOTH
 HOUSES GATHERING
Politics Will Dominate Every Move Made--House Fairly Hostile to President--Last Session
 Helped Democrats
By WALTER HARPER

Washington4 November 26.-tSpeciale.-7
 One week from tomorrow at noon the
 second session of the s2d Congress of the United States will convene at Washing | ton.
 1 Already the members of both houses
 are gathering at the capital and next Sat
 nrday night will find practically every
 member that is able to attend in Wash ington. A fewA tardy ones may come in.
 as late as Monday and some may be ?.
 few days later. But general eagerness
 for the fray will characterize the opening of the session.
 Those who have nothing urgent to pre- | sent or push in the way of Legislation will have an interest in the work or their colleagues. It is 10 be the most spectacular and busy session for years No one is able to foreteI results. l While some members Of both Hou l will strive to put through some constf
 tive and helpful legislation politics M dominate every move that is made. ir is to be great political scramble. Thr ] cannot be avoided. The situation is pc 1 culiar There was never better settin57
 for a political struggle in the Congress. < l HOStlle 10 ffesl0ehl
 The House is openly and fairly hostile
 to the President and the present admin-
 stration. The Senate is practically hos 1 tile. The full force of the republicans
 have bare majority. The insurgent wing
 consisting of a dozen more or less repuo- l lcans, makes the situation in the Sem
 ate most interesting and problematc. The 1 insurgents are hostile to the President
 and will seek every opportunity 10 etn-
 harrass the President. They will even l line up with the democrats on occasr l to carry out their hostile plans.
 President and the regulars can ~
 If nothing but trouble during tY on session. ne con s Will Re Differences affie of
 There may be and doubtless will bsY elfg. ,
 ferences among the democrats in both
 Houses but they will pale into insignifi- | canoe in comparison with the divisions
 in the republican party. The republicans
 can make no capital of democratic quar-
 rels. They have troubles of their own
 and troubles that will prove far more difficult than those that may develop in l the democratic party.
 | Leaders of wonderful ability have aris- 1 en in the democratic party and at times
 when leaders are sadly lacking in the
 republican party. It is a most unexepect-
 ed condition.
 l The republicans in the House have l good floor leader in Congressman Mann l but he lacks all the qualities of a good l political leader He Is the only man on
 that side of the House that approaches MT. Underwood, the leader of the ma l jority, but he will never be able to cope with Mir Underwood in any effort 10 carry through the democratic scheme He
 has not only a hopeless minority to lead 1 but he is a poor match for MT Under l wood in generalship. Mann loses his temper. Underwood never does Jnder-
 wood may display righteous indignation
 but that indignation blossoms like a vir- | tue
 Forensic Fireworks The coming session will bristle with forensic fireworks. Every man who gets
 the floor will try to get into the Record and before the people with a great po- l litical speech He will get the floor as often as possible and put all the fire into every word he utters that is possI- ble. The country will be deluged with charges, denials. promises and flattery
 Every man will seek to be a leader and will plead for audience. Those who honestly desire helpful leg
 islation will find hard work in trying to hold the proceedings In bounds and cool ing the personal ambitions Of politicians 1 There will be live doings at every ses- sion, while every member will be fully conscious that the country is looking on | It is to be expected that there will be petty fights in the democratic ranks as 1 there will be in the republican. Some | of them will break out openly on the l floor of the two houses and especially in
 the lower house. but no open rupture to the damage of the party will be permit ted. Everything is at stake and there are leaders that will prove equal to all such occasions.
 To Keep the Faith
 The greater the difficulties to overcome the greater will be the credit due the men who are able to adjust these diff ferences and carry the party safely through the next session in such way as to keep faith with the people and the promises that have been made. No one doubts the ability of MT. Under wood to lead his party through the pers | that are sure to come. He has already
 proven himself 10 be the man of the hour; the man raised up by necessity for the occasion. His enemies are daily | making him stronger. Criticisms of his methods and policies coming as they do l from envious politicians but emphasize his leadership and bring to him the great | CT confidence of the people, | Much is expected of Mir. Underwood during the next session, and while his | task will be hard and difficult one, | his friends feel confident that he will | show the same wonderful and true leader ship that he displayed during the last ses- | sion. Session Helped Democrats | The calling of the last special session, !, which was a great mistake on the part of I the President, has been of inestimable l berefit to the democratic party It not l only gave the democrats an opportunity l to go on record as to their determination l to revise the tariff as they had been com mlssioned by the people. but the session l served to develop the leadership of Mir. | Undrwood The republicans had consoled themselves with the mistaken idea that the democratic party could not develop
 
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