The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-30
REPUBLICANS ID PLAY POLITICS IN /. BLOCKING FARMERS
Boss Pemose, Who Does the Thinking for Senate Ma jority, Issues lnsincere
 Cha@ge for February
By HUGH ". ROBERTS Washington Burssu The Age Herald
 SOU Davidson Building

republicans, in their espousal of the so-called emergency tariff bill for the benefit of the farmers of the country arc determined to play a game of poll tics. It is their purpose to make it ap- near that but for democratic opposi- 1ion in the Senate and the White House they would confer an inestimable boon on the down trodden man who feeds the world
 So essential do they regard the nc cessity of playing the game that they have made the tariff bill, to the exclusion of other measures. the stand ing order of business. There is no doubt but that it's consideration viii require all the time of the session I'm portant legislation will be considered in the morning hours prior to ? o'clock.
 Senator Penrose, who does the think ing for the republicans in the Senate, challenged the democrats to agree to vote on the bill by February 1. To those who knew that the request of. Penrose hoped, would be deceived into knew it would--his object was palpa- bfe. But the farmers of the country Penrose hoped would be deceived into Relieving that he was sincere, and that the only obstacle standing between the farmers and prosperity was tine democratic party.
 UNDERWOOD OBJECTS
 Had Senator Penrose been sincere, hrs request would have been as re- mark able as the democratic leader. Senator Underwood characterized it. When made, the bill, which is not a revenue measure, but an embargo, had been discussed less than two hours. Just prior, the Senate had expended two weeks in debating a mere ,orpo- ration bill The campaign measure, as Senator Underwood pointed out "goes into the very heart of American bust ness and as Senator Simmons point ed out, includes duties three, as im- portant items as ever figured in tariff Legislation, viz, wool, sugar and wheat. While schedules affecting each of these items occupied weeks in previous debates, Senator Penrose, in playing his. game, would have debate estopped in the twinkling oflan eye.
 According to Senator Underwood, the republicans have very good reason for their desire to prevent free dis cussion "of this great iniquity, which would work destruction on the very people the republicans pretend to be anxious to serve." The leader de- clared that as result of a free dis cussion the people of the country would be made aware of the fallacy of the legislation and the hypocrisy of it's proponents. Senator Underwood charged further that the tactics of the republicans in pretending to desire that which they did not desire-name- by tn epassage of the bil1--were in ef- feet devising lines of retreat and rais- ing the white flag
 HARRISON SEWERS
 While Senator Thomas of Colorado declared that the bill was the most iniquitous measure ever presented to this or any other Congress, it is prob able. that the most intense excoria- ton was delivered by Senator Harri- son of Mississippi. He delved into the contents of the bill. and showed that it's duties were greatly in excess of those of the Payne -Aldrich bill, which President Taft, President-elect Hard- ing and all other outstanding leaders of the republican party declared "in- famous"
 Senator Harrison charged that the bin, while tending to protect products of. the farm, would not only fail to do 70 because of it's expiration after s period of 10 months, but would in crease the cost of living to the Ameri- can people, including the farmers, be- yond the realms of speculation. Hs charged, further, that the republicans were handing the farmers sop" and laying a predicate for the general tar if bin, the preparation of which will be undertaken immediately after March 4-and the dutiable rates of which would be, unless the republican leaders be checked, higher than those Of any other bill ever presented to Congress.
 FARMERS QUIESCENT
 Senator Underwood and Senator Sim mons declared that there would be no >rEanized bilibuster. They insisted. however, that there should be a full aisou1sfon, in order that the people ot tho country might be apprised of the 3nets and merits of the debate. At the sams time, there is an indication that certain senators, including Harrison of Mississippi and Thomas of Colorado. win, if any effort to prevent full de- Aate Is attempted, conduct individual Alibusters. Each of these senators has offered amendments, which are not generally considered germane to tariff legislation.
 At any rate, as previously suggested in this correspondence, there is little chance of the farmers bill. becoming law. The debate will be long. If a yUte is had. and the bill put through the Senate prior to adjournment, the House would have to consider the amendments of the Senate, But even should the bill be completed by Com gress prior to adjournment. it would have to weather Presidential veto. 2 Tho farmers of the south are not ex- erting particular pressure on their rep resentatives. In the beginning, they thought that the bill would save the present. peanut crop. They now know that 1t could not, because the crop . 1t could not affect the next crop be- cause 1t would expire before that crop was harvested. And so they are saying very little if anything.
 At the same time the republicans are Gleefully Rreferring to the fact that democratic governors in the south have al1ied themselves with the so-called Southern Tariff association. AMERICA NEGLECTS
 PROPER1EDUCATION
 WashingH, January 2s.-- tSpeeial) ! In connectf8 with the smith -Towner educationaf'gbilL pending before Con- gress, statistics are available which demonstrate conclusively that the United States pays little attention to , the instruction of it's children. The teachers of the United States are paid m average yearly salary of S563.0s.
 It Is proved by the figures that the United States. from the standpoint of 111iteracy, Is on al standard lower than all the other civilized nations of theI world While negroes contribute to the