Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-03-06
PRES. WILSON
AND BURLES0N
IN CHOICE OF CABINET AND
FLOOR LEADERS FOR HOUSE
AND SENATE WILSON SHOWS
SOUND JUDGMENT.
SELECTION OF BURLESON OF TEN
Az FOR POSTMASTER GENERAL
\ POLITICAL MOVE OF UNUSUAL
SIIREWDNESS.
(SpcciaL STAFF Correspondcntl

very long, ii VIII dawn upon Il lot OF
people that he has been pcrfcctng and
carrying forward 4 very excellent organ
iZatiOn. Those critics, who are fond Of
slurring his political experience, will
wake up to the fact that he has his own
men 1T the important stations and that
he has shown no mean order Of political
talent in getting them there. Rebellion
and mutiny there may be within demo
cratic ranks. Nice laid plans of the
new authorities may 90 awry, but if so
i is all in the future.
Daring work has been done liz tie
house Of representatives and daring
work has been done in the senate. 1t be
gins to look as though there has been
daring work in the organization Of the
cabinet BY that il meant in no often
sive sense. political work. For after all
president. to be successful. must be a
Shrcwd political general. Taft was not
and that tells the story in some part of
the last presidential election Woodrow
Wilson certainly has been good poll
tician III his recent Office as governor Of
New Jersey and it looks as though he
were likely to be a good politician in
his Office as president Of the United
States.
Now. first as to the political opera
tionS Of the WilsOnites in the house. A.
Mitchell Palmer of Pennsylvania. is not
going into the cabinet. He is a fOrccful
young man, who was one Of the foremost
Wilsonites last summer and autumn. He
is Appointment man in the house, too. a
member of the ways and means and
ranks high in democratic councils there.
OF his progressive tendencies there is
no question. He j. 4 colleague and
friend of Representative Underwood, the
floor leader. Mr.. Underwood is pro
gresSive on tariff revision but is ac-
clscd Of being conservative in other mat
tcrs. He and Mr.. Wilson Get along
nicely together. The new president takes
the Underwood judgment about many
matters affecting house rule. including
the date for an extra session of congress
But splendid Democrat that Mr.. I'm
derwOod il he has not been identified
with the Wilson cause and the Wilson
issues as has Representative Palmer
And one fine day last week the word
went forth that Mr.. Palmer was to be
the Wilson spokesman in the house Rep
rcScntativc BurlcSOn Of Texas having
been selected for postmaster general,
could not continue as chairman of the
democratic caucus. That neCcSStatcd
the choice Of another man and Mr.. Palm
rr was put forth Immediately for the Of
fee Under all the circumstances that
gave Mr. Palmer new prominence. be
cause il came Just when the plans about
his spokcSmanShip were being arranged.
Let ii not DC assumed that this
caused antagOnsm with Mr.. Underwood
for the latter promptly announced his
support for Mr.. Palmer for the caucus
chairmanShip. For the present. at least
the new arrangement will be Of the har
moniOus variety but, after all that has
tranSDircd. Representative Palmer will
De the administration spokesman on the
floor of the house. That need not give
offpnsc to Mr.. Underwood nor to Speaker
Clark. There are many prccedentS Tor
such things but id will inevitably vital
ize President Wilson's influence in the
house and Mr.. Palmer will speedily find
himself great guiding factor III politics
and policies
The proposition has not been worked
out quite 50 smoothly in the senate to
date. Conditions are a little different
ALo.o Tho ox+r, session of tho senate
coming right along with the new adj
minstration. will demonstrate whether
the same Italian hands are to fashion
tie party organization at that end of
the capitol. Not long ago it was said to
be senate opioniOn that Mr.. Martin Of
Virginia would be elected caucus chair
man. carrying, nOminally at least. the
title of democratic leader. But that is
apparently not to be for Senator John
Kern of Indiana. distinctly progressive
and an intimate friend Of Bryan will
be spokesman in the senate, but
not the administration spokesman, par
excellence. because Senators IIOke Smith
of Georgia. Tom Gore of Oklahoma and
O'Gorman of New York, are and have
been more intimately associated with
Mr.. Wilson.
ANYHOW Wilson democrats are to be
on top in the senate and it is probably
fortunate for them and for the new adj
miniStration that there are ten or twelve
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