The Mena weekly star., 1913-07-10
BETTER MACHINE
 THAN CANYONS
An Irresponsible Minority Has Be- come an Alright Organization Under the Leadership of Will
 son and Underwood.

" dSIlluC upll, JulN O.--N W dclllllS lOu under Democratic administration presents a study in contrasts. Four years ago l was here through the special session of Congress that Wrestled with tariff revision-and failed.
 In that session the Democrats we're negligible quantity. 1t wasn't merely that they were in the mi nority and so had no special chance to do anything. The trouble was that they were disorganized, inef- ficient, trifling. You would have bet your last dollar that it would be impossible to make anything out of them. They were like a lot of ir- responsible high school kids.
 A Better Machine Than CannOn's.
 Today there is all the difference in the world. Of course, there are many new faces here. But the present organization in both House and Senate is built around the old timers, and it is an organization. They say the Cannon machine in it's palmest days wasn't in it with the present Democratic organization in its ability to control legislation. Only in this case the commander in-chief is a progressive instead of being a reactionary. That same commander-in-chief, it is needless to point out, is one Woodrow Will son. It is as if Frank Chance had taken the cellar champion team of the American League last year and converted it into a pennant winner.
 The effectiveness of the organz- tion is seen in such a case. for in stance. as that of Senator Simmons, chairman of the finance committee, and also the majority leader in the Senate. Four years ago Simmons was known chiefly for his oppo- >ition to reductions in the lumber duty. Later he developed into a defender of Senator Aldrich. He iS the same Simmons, but he is in charge of this tariff revision bill. He was told to perform and he is performing
 Squclching the Pussy Members.
 A few days ago a member of the House got fussy because one of his bills wasn't referred to the right committee. It was sent to a com mittee which buried it. The indig- nant member got to storming around and proposed an inquiry to find out how many bills had been wrongly referred. shortly after ward he met Mr. Underwood, the House leader.
 T hear that you are going to try to have an inquiry made about bills that have been sent to certain com mittees," said Underwood.
 You bet l am, rctorted the in- dignant member.
 Well, take my advice" came back the suaVe Alabamaian, and don't. You will only make trouble for yourself"
 He didn't.
 If you will go to the public li- brary and inquire for a little VOL tune written by certain Professor Wilson and printed about 1885. you will get a hint as to the answer. That book. entitled Congressional Government" is a study for the American system. The professor finds that our system is deficient in it's lack of responsible government. That is, each congressional com mittee, he points out, is a little congress by itself It is quite evil dent that he prefers some scheme like that in England. in which the prime minister is the responsible head of the government. Now he is putting his theory into practice. The president regards himself as the head of the government.
 Wilson a Real Leader.
 President Taft used to say, T am 'he titular leader of my party" President Wilson hasn't said any thing yet, but if he should repeat the Taft statement he would leave out the "ttular' He is the real leader of his party, and his party is doing exactly what he says.
 Possibly the aStute Mr. Under wood would have preferred to do the leading in Congress, but if he had such aspirations he quickly saw their futility. Wilson had the House with him because he had the country with him. So Mr. Un- derwood. instead of fighting the president. joined him and became his chief lieutenant. Between them they are inVincible. In the Senate the presidents power was such that he could take the unregener- ate Senator Simmons and bring him to the mourner's bench Now, as has been intimated, Mir. Simmons is one of our most faithful little work CTS in the Lords vineyard.
 It is recalled that on a famous occasion the Democratic party went f back on it's precedentS and acquired the Louisiana Territory, simply be- cause it had the responsibility of the government, which is a great developer of hidden abilities. The Democratic members of Congress who were looked on as particularly impossible four years ago are show ing similar growth under the pressure of responsibility.
 Can It Last?
 Will it last? Wilson will get his tarifT bill and he will get his cur rency bill. The insurgents are cowed. They dare not speak above whisper. He hasn't made any ap- pointments to speak of, so he still