The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-23
Thursday, April 23, 1sOs.
NEED OF POSITIVE CONVICTIONS.

Thursday, April 23, 190s.
 NEED OF POSITIVE CONVICTIONS.
 Now that the present session of congress Is drawing to close one naturally asks: What has congress done to meet the peculiar demands the country has made upon lt?" There remain only a few weeks more when adjournment will be declared, but there seems to be the understand ing that nothing more is likely to be done in the way of legislation except the passage of the usual appropria- ton bills. Attention is sure to be given to these. The question of the revision of the tariff has been put farther away and there Is no pros pect that anything will be done on the currency measure. except ap- point a commission The sole result of the session is the employers lia- bility act. but about this there is the question of its constitutionality. At the present time congress has no fixed program. A western senator Is reported as saying: Congress is simply petering out" In this there is more truth than fiction. Some re- publican leaders have very much felt the force of this general inaction and are credited with the assertion that 1t would be suicidal for the party not to enact currency measure at this session. If this Is true then 1t may be inferred that that act has been done.
 Nevertheless. 1t is likely that the republican party will show consider able life In the coming campaign and will as strongly as ever declare in Its platform yet to be built. the great principles and measures for which 1t stands However, 1t is one thing to stand for a thing, but quite another to get into motion and to incorporate vitally in the body politics the reme- dies needed to meet the general ail- ments and conditions of mal-nutrl- tion. From the point of view of the astute party politician 1t must seem unfortunate that in the session just preceding presidential campaign the party In power should adopt a "do. nothing policy"
 It is evident that the republican party is feeling It's way. Indeed, al parties are, but the ono entrusted with the conduct of affairs Is more particularly cautious. Legislation has of late been assuming a new charac. ter, and to very many congressmer this has come with such apparent suddenness as to leave little time tc tii'ilh tiiipuBu Nne Situhllon HnO tt come to any positive conclusion. about what the country really does need. When there Is condition O such uncertainty 1t appears to many wiser to do nothing rather than some thing that may take the risk of bein, the wrong thing.
 If there are any congressman wht assume this attitude and believe tha thereby their chances are better fo reelection by their respective con stituencies, they are making one O the saddest mistakes of their lives The people generally want posltlv, political convictions on the part O those they select for representatives The people become impatient witt inaction. They pay the expenses of representative system of govcrnmen and send forward their chosen lcgis lators with feeling of confidence that something worth while will b done. To abuse the public confidence by a policy of inacton s the po8rcs way to make oneself solid with tn folks" at home. When the egisla tors assume this policy, they ar either timid or uncertain what to dc or deliberately take this course iron uterior motives, but whatever tn situation, they may be quite sur that their constituencies in time vii see through 1t all.
 It Is reported this week that tn President is receiving letters from a over the country asking in effer that he use his "big stick" on con gress, but the President Is helpless 1 the matter however much he desire to have certain legislation at thi session. Besides 1t is too near tn Presidential campaign to use the "bl stick" except playfully The chic magistrate of the land has all he ca do at present in fighting for four bat tleships, notwithstanding the state ment of members of the senate com nittee on naval affairs that the com