Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-26

sssess az M. PSssss4 ass,
to the fact that behind the machines
of both the old parties stand COM
paratively, small group who never ap-
pear openly with either party but who
certainly exercise an almost complete
practical control over both. Our hope
lies in breaking down this bipartisan
control and it is absolutely necessary
! to smash both the Democratic and Re-
! publican parties to do
All over the country people are
aware of the fact that in their mu-
nicipal governments there has been a
| bipartisan arrangement in power. Ad-
ministrations have changed, but not the
| government. 1t is that way in cities
all over the country, in many states al
| 50. and it is pretty much that way in
the nation.
Now, at the risk of making this
out some of the things that will hap
pen in case Mr.. Wilson should be elect
ed to the presidency. He said the
other day in a speech in Jersey City
that it was absolutely necessary to
have good men not only at the head
of the ticket but every place on ev-
cry ticket. He added that it was amaZ-
ing to him that good men everywhere
did not see this. Now, if we concede
! 100 per cent of sincerity, integrity, abil-
ity patriotism and progressivism to
Mr. Wilson, we can still demonstrate e
, that his election will not, and cannot,
! possibly accomplish what it is in the
I to vote for him to have accomplish ed:
: This because Mr.. Wilson's national and
state tickets in no manner conform to
his own prescription as to what is i'm
| peratively necessary.
! Mr. Wilson's running mate on the
national ticket, Governor Marshall, is
one of the most notorious reactionar-
les of the country. His entire record
| from the time he entered politics, as
a young man, to date is intensely re
tor ha mil 10 w haU L NJ
| him, there is no question of that fact.
That, however, is not specially impor-
tant. What is important is that #
Mr.. Wilson should be elected he would
undoubtedly carry congress with him
overwhel elmingly in both houses. That
would put in the house a great num-
among the Democrats, a large number
| of men who are serving their first
term in congress. but there are also
a very substantial minority of men
who have been elected for years from
the solid Democratic districts of the
North and from the solid South. These
men have a practical monopoly of eX-
perience in house management. They
| form an invincible ring which cannot
possibly be upset by the mass of the
inexperienced new men. The new men
may be the best who ever Wore shoe
leather, but it is case of veteran
soldiers against a mob. This ring will
certainly repeat in the organization Of
the house and the selection of the
house committees the procedure fol-
lowed at the organization of the pres
ent house. This means that the same
old gangsters will be in control of all
| the important places, the centers OF
power and authority, and will abso-
! lutely dominate Democratic legislation
! Just as they have dominated in the
| present house.
! l do not suppose that the average
man throughout the country follows
congressional affairs sufficiently close
| ly to be aware of what this means.
They feel, in vague way that Can
nonism has been overthroWn That is
| true so far as the power of the speaker
lis concerned, but in point of fact il
| was not much an actual overthrow
Of annonism as il was a transfer Of
/ the power exercised by Cannon, as
, speaker, to the chairman of the com
mittee on ways and means, whoever
he may be. Now, everybody familiar
| lust what that means in a Democratic
The present chairman of the ways
and means committee is Oscar I'm
derw BOD, of Alabama. Underwood IS
a ,reactiQnary and tory Of the old
school He knows Tothlng 10th d6 6n' IT the wha, Tar
ought to be done about that. There is
not another idea in him. You can friSk
his rockets: YOU can search his shoes
YOU can examine him under a micro
scope and you cannot get anything
else out of him. He does not know
Ianythng about the great currency
question. He has not an idea on the
subject of trusts and corporations con
troll Of the regulation of interstate
e commerce. He is states Fighter and
\ against federal activity in many
of the ways in which it has been dem
onstrated that the federal government
must take an active part He scorns
the suggestion of anything looking
toward the betterment of conditions OF
life and labor for the average man
Social and industrial justice is an an
athena to him and, in a word, he is
completely tory.
Mr.. Underwood will be the chairman
of the ways and means committee in
the next house to an absolute certainty
if it is Democratic. He is the DOM
nant figure Of the house today. His
/ standing on these questions is clearly
/ shown by the public assault made upon
| him by Mr.. Bryan last year. AS chair
man of the ways and means committed
Mr. Underwood will be the dominant
figure in the selection of all the Other
! standing committees of the house