The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-04-10
MAJORITY TOO BIG
DEMOCRATIC HOUSE LEADERS
FIND THEY HAVE UNWIELOY
BODY TO CONTROL.
OBJECTIONS TO BE FEARED
Underwood Desires Solid Party Vote
but May BE Disappointed, Though
Defeat Of Major Legislation
Is Net to Be Feared.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington -Congress in the first
hours Of its extra session is, in ma
Jority party sense, rather an unwieidy
body. Speaker Clark looks from mis-
'rostrum" into the faces OF scores
OF members OF his party sitting III the
house for the first time, and Leader
Oscar W. Underwood probably re-
CARDS with some little anxiety the
task OF keeping such an immense FOL
lowing in entire accord with all the
legislative propositions for which the
Democratic party, now in power in all
branches OF the government, must un.
dertake the responsibility.
Mr.. Underwood is not only chair
man OF the ways and means commit
floor leader. 1t Is not at all to De
wondered at that he fears the posi-
bility Of trouble because OF the enor'
nous majority which the party has In
the new house. 1t has been recog'
Dized oy party leaders in representa-
tive assemblies ever since they came
into existence that it is easier to put
things through, as the party wants
them to go through. when the ruling
majority is just big enough to De
easily handled"
1t must be remembered that the
Democratic leaders are confronted
this year with three parties in opposi-
ton the Republican party. the Pro
sress,ve party, and members of the
Republican party who call themselves
Observation-Disclosures and who. al
though cllnging to their old.time Re.
publicanism in a party sense, have re-
pudiated many of the Republican doc
trines but yet are not willing TO accept
in full those OF the Progressive party
This puts a new factor into the prob.
lem OF Democratic leadership, for slr
Underwood must learn just where he
is to look for support on the other
side OF the aisle II he fears that upon
any great measure some OF his own
following may break away and de-
sires to make up for II by going to
some battalion in the ranks OF his
friend the enemy"
Underwood Fears OBJECTIONS,
II Is said to be the fear OF Mr.. I'm.
derwood that on some tariff matters,
and on some other minor matters, a
part OF his following may break away
and refuse to be bound even by eau.
lfaI,
derwood fears that enough party men
will break away to endanger the pas
sage OF anything Of prime import.
ance to the party, but the leader is
anxious that everything that is done
with major legislation shall be done
with a solid party vote back OF It.
Very likely trouble will be avoided,
but the means OF securing harmony
are not altog lther to the liking, II is
said. Of the leader Already Demo
cratic members OF congress are max
ing 1t plain to the members OF the
ways and means committee that GER
tain OF the tariff schedules must be
made thus and so or else support will
be lacking, These demands do not
make it certain at all that the bill or
bills will be patched with comprom-
ises, because Mr. Wilson has taken a
hand. with Underwood and Champ
Clark and also with several OF the
more progressive Democratic members
OF the house. and Is using the force OF
persuasion TO get tariff legislation
through which will not show any
symptoms OF patchwork
All the members OF the lower house
OF congress now ind themselves sit
ting on benches. as one OF them said,
like a pack OF school boys" The
house does not look az 1t did when it
was In session only a month ago II
bears some resemblance today to the
house OF commons In England, so far
as the matter OF furniture il concern.
ed at least. but there certainly Is one
point OF superiority here-the mem
bers do not sit with their hats on.
There are many new members Of
congress and some OF them are men
whose past lives have marked them
out for special interest There are
some members who have served be
fore. but have not been in the house
for period OF years In way these
men are considered as new members.
because they have no rights OF senior
ity IN committee appointments and
nothing except sentiment which at
tsches TO previous service to give
them any reason to believe that they
will be any better treated in the mat
ter OF committees than their fellows
who are serving for the first time.
When Representative Joseph W
Keller. Republican, OF Springfield, O.
returned TO congress- some time ago
after an absence OF many years he
was given a position on the great
committee OF appropriations The