The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-24
THE MAJORITY IN CONGRESS.

AAS "A&ASOAsAA | IN OOANNSGS'Os
 MT. William A. Oldfield, of Arkansas acting chairman of the Democratic com mittee of congress, gives substantial req son for believing that the Republicans will lose their present slender numerical majority in the house, and that the rift between congress and the White House idge should be returned. The admins trative impotence in legislation during the last session should be sufficient warn ing to the American people not to con- tinue the regrettable situation of un- bridgeable division between the execu- tive and legislative. That chasm can be bridged only by the election of John w. Davis. No other candidate could expect even in remote degree to have the CO., operation of a working majority in congress.
 Chairman Oldfield enumerates twenty five probable Democratic elections of senators and representatives in several states where the offices are now occupied by Republicans. That means twenty-five subtracted from the Republican columns and added to the Democratic columns, or a numerical spread of fifty. Such re- suit, with the possible addition of eight or ten more cases in which Democratic victory is possible, would make it a lamentable error for the American peo- pie to fail to elect MT. Davis.
 Nevertheless, the Republicans would welcome the election of Coolidge without a congressional majority, for they have already legislated unto themselves the chief laws under which they may con tinue to extend privilege. For the Re- publican representation would still be great enough to uphold the presidential veto of any legislation tending to modify the tariff or to deprive favored inter- ests of their enjoyment of improper prerogatives. There would still be the executive opportunity to distribute the rewards of patronage among those to whom political promises have been ex- tended. Undoubtedly attention would be paid to the recommendations of c. Bas- com Slemp, who has naturally had to en- ter into agreements with sundry persons in return for their political support in doubtful localities.
 That pledges have been exchanged to grant or continue improper privilege in return for personal or financial support of the Republican ticket is inferred by Mir. Davis, who says: "What about the letter of the Pennsylvania manufacturer asking for funds to prevent the dreadful calamity of having the existing tariff law removed from the books at this time! And that, my friends, has been the stand ing indictment of Democracy against the system of prohibitive tariffs written by the beneficiaries, that they were, in the last analysis, nothing more or less than the sale of the taxation privilege to prl- vate citizens in return for political con- tributions." The Democratic leader, aft CT reviewing the Republican record ot extending special favors in accordance with prediction agreements, and men tioning the use of official opportunity to enjoy private advantages, pertinently de- clares: ''If one government function can be bought and paid for, you have no guaranty that other governmental func- tions may not also be barter'ed in the The outstanding cases of Fall and Forbes, both unpunished, are irrefutable examples of Republican mis- use of public office and of Republican to bring to justice those known to have betrayed their public trust
 Inasmuch as there is apparently no likelihood of a Republican majority in either branch of the new congress, what can be expected of further Republican control of the executive except continu- ation of the program of privilege, favors and pillage? What can be expected, ex- cept congressional ineptitude, through the probable inability of the majority to re- enact legislation over the veto? What could be more embarrassing to the Ameri- can people, noted for their efficiency and their business sagacity, than to have, in their period of most rapid progress and prosperity, a government that cannot function? Only one result can prevent such an embarrassment, and that is the election of John w. Davis to the presi- dency of the United States.