The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-16
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POLITICAL DEMENTIA.

There is moon madness OF politics.
In dozen different measures the fact has
been manifested by the House of Representa-
tives in the present session OF Congress. The
pension steal was put through by Democratic
veto IT, Mr.. Taft had also been sleeping with
his windows up. He signed the measure. and
the treasury Is mulcted. Direct elections of
Senators was passed with a Joker that, pro-
riding the possibility of reconstruction condi-
tons in the South. assures it's defeat on vote
upon the amendment by States. We only
strike the high places OF this sort of folly posing
as wisdom for the sake OF illustration. 1t
could be indefinitely extended to include the
many measures. OF false economy combined
with personal extravaganza, which have
marked general scramble for campaign posi-
ltion worth nothing except on the hypothesis
that the people are fools, With both parties
equally guilty, there seems to be little remedy
since there is no one to rebuke. The PERM
cious legislation that has resulted remains as
Ia dead weight OF wasted effort and squandered
time
Latest bit of political sycophancy Is the pas
sage OF the "anti-njunction" bill, while Com
pers, Morrison and half a dozen others who have
done SO much TO discredn the better types of
organized labor looked on approyingly The
'anti-inj junction bill we viii not discuss fur
ther than to say that 1t tends to leave property
helpless against lawlessness. In one of its
provisions, however it encourages and makes
Illegal pickering tthat ia interference with
the right of one man to employ and the other
man TO work. and the boycott which is con-
certed discrimination against the fair chance
and the square deal with which every man is
supposed TO be endowed when he starts into
business.
1t is stated that THE measure will pass the
Senate that the Republicans will not dare to
oppose. nor the President venture to refuse to
sign 1t, Perhaps that is true. Neither Senate
nor President has lately exhibited many signs
/ OF ssatesmanship other than those which indi-
cate intense desire for reelection We
would, however, say word for organized labor,
as the country IN general refuses to see Il.
for the organized labor that is not remotely
| like Gompers Morrison. Haywood, or the Nc
Namaras, but the organized labor that includes
six million and more men with votes. who work
for living, and own homes and play fair, and
cast their ballots as they think. We have the
greatest respect for these men, and we resent
the insult that is given them when a free
boycott" law ia passed in their name. More
than that, we know from experience how futile
this chaffering and pandering will be in the
result. No handful of Labor Leaders can lead
Organized Labor to water. No compact of
Gompers extends TO the polls Dfd not Bryan,
ON this very issue. accept the pledged assistance
of Gompers, after the latter had been turned
down" at the Republican convention of 1908?
And did not Labor therenpon assert its indie
pendence by voting for Taft, quite as much. we
imagine, because it had been sought to make
II subject OF barter and sale as because il had
any particular affection for the Rough Riders
candidate.
Congress might have done much worth
while, that it has failed to do; it might so
prohtably have substituted action for procras-
tnation, that the waste in attempting to buy
with tainted nattery and unpurchasable vote,
goes beyond absurdity and becomes criminal