The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-15
DEMOCRATS WOULDN'T TRADE

The SeHdIO1 VIII so IO w dohih s eSii
 Sunday morning and attend the first
 session of Congress Monday. He will not attend the democratic caucus Sat urday afternoon. Senator Underwood, who will attend. will represent the two
 Alabamians in the upper house. q am glad the republicans will or ganize," said the senator. "Of course the democrats by trading with the .progressives,' who are sore over the l fact that Senator Penrose. whom they call 'reactionary,' will be chairman of | the finance committee, might have gained a vote and thereby overthrow | the republicans who have a one-vote majority.
 But had the democrats by so trad l ing got in position to organize, the | 'progressives' would very probably have flopped back to the republicans within week or two. I want the re- publicans to have control. Let them up- | set all that democrats have done-all | that they criticised-and assume re- sponsibility before the country. They stand a chance of making themselves very unpopular, and therefore, of los- | ing out when they next go before the people,
 Senator Bankheads talked over the various problems confronting Congress and agreed that the problem of trans portation was the most serious. He declared himself unalterably opposed to tgovernment ownership in any Of it's phases. He expressed desire that the government turn back the wires inn mediate1y, and the railroads just as soon as remedial legislation is enacted REPUBLICANS POWERLES5 Regarding the nomination by repub- l licans of Senator Cummins of Iowa | progressive" as president pro tenn pore of the Senate, Senator Bankhead | had nothing to say. "Cummins is all right" he laconically remarked. He is a progressive to the point of advo- eating government control but he will not greatly interfere with the situa- tion As a matter of fact, the repub- | licans, as a party, cannot overthrow l the government, for it must be remem- bered that the democratic administra- | tion with the power of veto is still in existence"
 Concerning Postmaster General Burleson, the object of general criti- cism. the senator said nothing. He let | it be known, however, that he found l himself unable to approve of every | thing MT. Burleson has done. If he wishes to condemn certain actions of | the Postmaster General, he will do SC l from Washington.
 T am deeply grieved at the untime- 1 ly death of John L. Burnett" said the senator. The Seventh district repre- sentative in Congress was an able man an honest man, and one of great moral and physical courage. And he had SC many friends in his district that de- spite the necessity of his making a bitter fight every two years, nothing | but death could have defeated him. Burnett was conscientious. He took action from the standpoint of principle | And having taking action, he did not attempt to conceal that fact or mini mize it by twisting and squirming or | fence riding, or lodging. And he never 1 gave ground to appease any discontent- I ed element, or to avoid a fight
 l He was very loyal to his friends and to his state. Alabama has lost a very valuable public servant. Congress
 has lost an able and aggressive legis- | lator."