The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-30
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In the beginning of this session. Of Congress, reactionary leaders, Lodge in the Senate and Lonsworth in the House, adopted superior air towards the in dependent Republicans. They refused to treat with them. They ignored their very existence.
 It was evidently their belief that the independents would not dare to leave the Republican party, especially as ad- ministrati0n organs were calling them, even then, political traitors, men who se- cured election under false pretense.
 But the independents, having. made their threats, made good their threats. They stood with democrats in liberaliz- ing the rules of the House to-such extent that reactionaries could not run rough shod over them with the Mellon scheme of tax reduction. 7
 And in the senate they went so far as to vote for Senator Smith, a democrat. rather than Senator Cummins, a reac- tionary, for the chairmanship of the im- portant committee on interstate com merce. a n
 It was then that the reactionary lead CTS, Lodge and Longworth, read the handwriting on the wall. They were then made aware that the independents were entirely serious, and that unless their own attitude was changed, it would be impossible to put over any legislation, or part of any legislation of comfort to the reactionary's heart; any of that program on which they had planned to send President Coolidge before the peo- pie asking election. In other words, they knew that they had to win over the in dependents if it was not to be demon strated that President Coolidge had proved himself too weak to control, even in part, republican Congress.
 So the leaders adopted a policy of con- ciliation. They frankly admitted that they would adopt such a policy. And the case was stated in the newspaper organs of the administration.
 The situation prompted Senator lief lin of Alabama totell the story of kitty and Scat"
 There was once man who had a modest home," he began. "A stranger erected a magnificent home just, to the appear tawdry. and cheap. The owner of this modest home was filled with jeal- Ous wrath. So one afternoon, just as it grew dark, he attached a shuck to the tail of a cat, and lighting it, attempted to drive the cat under the rich mans house. But the cat, after shying, ran backward and finally came to a stop under the modest home.
 ''The modest owner, throwing a stone under his endangered home, cried in loud voice and great anger, Seat! You son of gunr But the cat declined to scat, and the poor man falling upon his knees and beckoning piteously, implored Kitty, kitty! Y"
 Of course, the senator applied the story to the former and present attitude of the reactionary leaders towards the 
 He did not explain whether the cat, which had refused to budge under threats, was beguiled by soft language. So it cannot be predicted whether the in- dependents will be taken in" by the changeof policy or not. It is indicated, however, that while the independents are not drunk with thier power, they are still determined, and are ever mindful of the adage: Fear the Greeks bearing gifts
 Mir. Lodge heard the story by Mir. Heflin. He did not join in the general laugh which followed. He just grinned and left the cloak ro0m