The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-29
WORTHY OF SUPPORT
om the Baltimore Sun.

| From the Baltimore Sun.
 The matter of the suscess of the demo-
 cratic party at the polls is in the hands of
 the democrats of the House of Represen- | tatives. If they do not undo the good work done by them at the extra session, | the triumph of democratic principles at | the coming election seems almost certain. The demand for the things recommended | in the last democratic platform Is sweep | ing the country from Maine to Texas like | a prairie fire and the present prospect of partx supremacy is in great measure
 due to the consistent record of perform
 ance of the democratic majority of the House in the extra session under the | leadership of Oscar Underwood of Ala bama.
 MT. Underwood, who has a record of practical work for progressive measures that dates back to the day of his first election to Congress IS years ago, has in his leadership of the party in its work of giving us an honest tariff shown that | he is d leader who may well be trusted. | Though worked almost to the limit of | human endurance in performing the ard- uous duties that have fallen to his lot
 as the active head of the committee that | has just completed the iron and steel | schedules, he now has to face demand | for a series of lists of expenditures Of government moneys that would, if &C., ceded to, nullfy all the telling efforts | that he has made to see that the demo- cratic majority's record in the House shall | be one of sane and practical patriotism. This demand. traced back to Its source, comes from the voters and taxpayers who unthinkingly require of their represen- tatives the pushing of bills providing for expenditures for buildings and improve
 ments in their several congressional dis | tricts. The desire of the congressman | to please the voters of his district by get | ting a liberal share of the governments | cash for federal buildings and for river | and harbor improvement is a very human
 one, and there must be proper amount
 of sympathy for the man who fears that
 an unsuccessful grab at the pork barrel
 may mean retirement to private life.
 That MT. Underwood's effort to save the treasury and at the same time save his party deserves the cooperation of the
 men who are harassed by the demands of
 
 fact that just now he is laboring with
 all his powers to reduce the protection
 given to the industry on which not only
 the prosperity of his home city and his district depends, but in which a part of
 his own money is invested. Protection may be. as General Hancock contended,
 local issue, and if so, appropriations
 for government buildings may be similarly
 classified. If MT. Underwood asks the
 aid of his fellow members in his fight for
 economy, it is well for them to remem-
 Der that he goes to them with clean hands
 and a clean record of unselfishness in the
 matter of meeting these so-called local is-
 sues.
 MT. Underwood, however, has not only set a good example in the matter of
 broad and unselfish statesmanship, but
 has undertaken to demonstrate the fact
 that not even selfish ends will be gained
 by having the present Congress grant
 the demands for the expenditure of the
 governments millions for public buildings.
 On another page will be found a state
 ment in a dispatch from the Suns Wash ington correspondent in which MT. Under
 woods views of the matter are given It appears that If the money desired by the friends of the public buildings bill were appropriated it would not be spent till some time subsequent to 1915, while it would be charged up to the account of
 the present Congress by the voters of the country.
 So, viewed from every standpoint, not only the exigencies of the democratic partys welfare but considerations of
 broadmnded public policy demand the elimination of the public buildings bill, | and 1t Is to be hoped that this policy will be upheld by the democrats of the House
 when they assemble in caucus next Mon- day night.