The Washington times., 1914-06-19
Mr.. UNDERWooD's VIEW.

Mr.. iUNDERWOOD'S VIEW.
Very clearly, all is not harmony
among the leaders of the Democratic
party in their views of the legisla-
tive program which should be ex-
ecuted at the present session. The
President has laid down his demand
for continuous session until the
whole trust program shall have been
written into the law. Against this
there has BEEN protest on. behalf. of
both business and political interests.
Now comes Oscar Underwood, floor
leader of the House, with the declar-
alton that the appropriation bills
ought to be passed as soon as pos
sible and then adjournment should
be taken. He would give the MEM
bers a chance togo home and look
after their political affairs, returning
10 Washington immediately; after
election for special session that
would merge into the December ses-
sion. This would give four months
in which the old Congress could at
tend to the general legislative pro-
gram and would postpone it until
after election, i-..-s 1.
The House leader thus aligns him.
self squarely against the party lead
er. It is significant division,
though Mr.. Underworld detection is
perhaps less important than it would
be if he were going to remain as
floor manager of the, House in the
next Congress. As \. new Senator
he will be, for time ct least, a much
less potential person than he has
been in the capacity Of party chief in
the House.
Mr. Underwood has at no time un-
derratcd the responsibilities of his
own very important position. He has
not felt it either his duty or his in
terest to submerge his own opinions
in those Of the Administrations
head. We have come upon times in
which Presidents proclaim them
selves the leaders Of their parties.
That was the attitude of Mr.. Taft.
who was wont to call himself the
"titular" leader; it is the attitude of
Mr.. Wilson. who drops out the quail
flying adjective. Mr.. Underwood
takes his own part in the party di-
rection just as seriously. He has
been chosen to the titular leadership
of the majority in the House, and
he does not deem it fitting or neces-
sary in that position to surrender all
his own opinions. He saw fit to dis
agree just as sharply as possible
with the President i'm the matter of
canal tolls, and he now places him
self similarly in opposition to the
program Of all-sumner session for
the purpose of passing the Admins
tration's series of antitrust laws.
These various divergcnces of pol
icy: andopiHiea= among the leaders
of the party point To. no other con-
clusion than that the seeds of dis
cord are being sown. Rather, sown
long ago, they are bearing fruit. Let
it be assumed thai in. the fall cleo
tions the Democratic party shall lose
half its majority in the House: what
will be the effect en- development of
Democratic political tendencies! Is
it not obvious. that the breach al
ready opened between the same ele-
ments that set themselves apart ut
the Baltimore convention, will become
wider and more marked, md that
there will be every, prospect of
real struggle for control of the
Democratic convention of 1915?
1t is we'll enough to insist that
the Democrats must stand or fall by
the record of Wilson; that they must
win with him or not win ut all. It
has been observed that "if, the next
can be taken away from
Mr.. Wilson, nobody will want to take
it because it will not be worth the
having" Which is an excellent cpl
gram, but not at all consistent with
the facts that are developing all
day by day. There may be
no overt attack on Wilson control
in the next convention. but the fact
that the forces are today
taking positions in preparation for
the possibility Of such an attack; if
business and political developments
arc such as to justify it, the attack
will be made. -..1f,..
b