The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-16
POLITICAL RY-PLAY

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 All vacations sooner or later come to an end. The American people, having deeply enjoyed congressional vacation of several months, are about to be plunged back into political ac- tivity at the national capital. Of course, congress may pass some laws times the enactment of laws was looked upon as one of the regular duties of congress. Nowadays that IS minor function, the emphasis being placed upon realizing personal politi- cal ambitions. After all, that may be no more than right. When hardwork ing men give up their jobs and throw down their tools to go to Washington and assume the worries of an entire nation, are they not to recompense themselves by games of political chess so as to take their minds off the pub lie problems? And who will say that they have not successfully diverted their minds from such problems?
 Just now, as the opening days of the coming session approach, what are the questions of deep national import that cause such worried anxiety among the agents of the American people? Is it Muscle Shoals? Or our foreign policy? Our problems of internal transportation? Our merchant ma rine? Our public finances? Our works of public improvement? Con- servation of national resources? Tax reforms? The tariff? No, it is none of these, although of course there are some who talk about all these things.
 The deep and absorbing concern Of the Republican leaders in the senate is whether Senator Cummins or Senator LaFollette shall hold the chairmanship of the interstate commerce committee. It has all come about through the ele- vation of MT. Coolidge to the presi- dency, leaving vacancy in the senate chair. Some senator must be chosen as presiding officer, for, while vice president would have plenty of time to attend to the duties of the president, the president is too busy to attend to the duties of vice president. MT. Cummins wants to be made presiding officer without relinquishing the chair manship referred to. MT. LaFollette, being armed with a big stick for. use on railroads and other objects of his disapproval, is earnestly desirous of that chairmanship, and means to block Mir. Cummins' ambition to occupy the dual position. MT. Shoot is skilfully angling for the chairmanship of the finance committee. And so these pro- found lawmakers are preparing to as- semble in Washington for the purpose of snatching pluns from the low hanging limbs of the political tree.
 In the house there is likewise being waged a controversy with respect 70 the speakership. MT. Gillett, who held the office last session, is the safety candidate of the Republicans, while the Democrats are preparing to run MT. Garrett of Tennessee. AL though the Democrats are slightly in the numerical minority, their case is no so hopeless as might appear. They have handicap of only eight votes to overcome, while it IS known that many nominal Republicans are extremely irregular in their politics and party allegiance. Of course, if any mem bers are unreliable within their party they would be equally unreliable with out their party. Still, a vote IS vote, and, once it is cast, it makes no difference how uncertain or vacillating the previous conduct of the one cast ing it.
 All this political by-play would not vex the American people, if it were only by-play. The trouble is that the by-play has been holding the stage us the main performance for so long that the public is somewhat skeptical of any intention to buckle down to the real business of the nation. However, congress has passed some good and constructive laws in the past. Thence springs the hope, even though dim, that some equally wise legislation is again in the offing.