Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-12-20
IS 1T IN ITS DoTAcE?

Is IL IN ITS D01AcE?
Minneapolis Journal Sounds Note to
tho Leaders Of tho Repub-
Iican Party.
Although the Minneapolis Journal
is republican paper it possesses far
more independence that makes a pa
per really valuable to it's party than
most OF the partisan papers have.
IN its issue OF December 16, it thus
sounds a warning to the republicans
in congress:
'COngress seems to have made upits
mind to follow the advice given by the
late Tom Reed in his North American
Revlew article when he said that it
was good rule to do nothing when
you don't know what to do.
Still the people will notexcuse con-
gress for not knowing what to do. It
IS the business of congress to know
or, at least, to think that it knows
what to do when legislation is de-
manded. The trouble with congress
now is precisely that it dosen't know
what to do, that it is unable to make
up it's mind, unable to rise to the oc-
casion.
ITO say congress in this connection
Is to say the republican party. It
controls the house, it controls the SEN
ate, it controls the executive-and
does nothing. Ia it's last analysis the
trouble with the party is that it lacks
leader. Theodore Roosevelt is g.
good leader, but from his place in the
presidential chair he is unable to di-
vest the party of it's Bourbonistic fos.
sils OF old-time leaders. While the
tariff revision and trust agitation fire
burns throughout the country these
leaders look on and consider it fine
sport, but never dream that it has
anything to do with them.
1t will be the presidents duty to his
party and to his country to call q
special session of the ffty-eighth con-
gress Immediately after the fifty-sev-
enth is gathered to it's 6fty-six prede-
cessors. The new congress, fresh from
the people, impressed with their de-
mand that the new time must have new
laws and the revision of old ones,
called especially for the purpose Of
working on the trust and tariff prob
lens, will be bound to do something:
or, ifit do nothing, twill serve to DEM
onstrate to the country the republican,
party, SO long the party of achieve
ment and adaptability of ability to-
plan and ability to do, is at last in it's,
dotage, living in the past
These are harsh words, but the
spectacle OF the utter Indifference
shown at Washington to the appeals of
the people, and the lack of leaders
who stand ready to respond to new
demands and direct and organize new
legislation to meet problems which
are urgently pressing for settlement is
not 9 cause for polite phrases and
artificial smiles.' = - '-s..zS =.
ltls very doubtful, however, whether
an extra session of congress would do
anything more than the present con-
gress will. The old leaders, "the
Bourbonistic FOSSILS" as the Journal
calls them, are reelected They will
control the house in the next congress
as they do now. There will be very
little change in the senate, the bulwark
OF the trusts and monopolies. Quay,
Allison, Spooner, Plat, Elkine, Han
na and Foraker-who control the SEN
ate-will all be there. Against that
solidphalanx of men who knowwhatthev
do not want done the talk of q man
like Roosevelt, who has no definate
idea OF what he wants done, will avail
nothing. That is just the difficulty of
the situation; the people who want
something done are not agreed as to
what 1t should be, while their oppo-
nents have very definite program
leave we'll enough alone" The
Journal will very likely have to an
nounce after the first session of the.
next congress that the republican
party ''is in its dotage, living in it's
past ~ :
Do s4