The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-09-03
HYsTERlA IN CONGRESS.

The United States has an opportunity
which it seems inclined to neglect to
render a great service to the distracted
world. That service is to be true to it.
self, to present the example of that
sanity of thought and conduct which is
safety in crisis. Unfortunately Con-
gress is engaged in promoting legislation
it deems historical, which the future will
rather characterize as hysterical. Gov
erned by it's construction of political ex-
pediency, construction that never rises
above vote catching, Congress is all but
committed, at times under the Indictment
of the Administration, to series of So
cialistic experiments. To commit to the
Government power to do in its sovereign
capacity what private capital can do to
the public advantage is to adopt the
policy of estate Socialism" We hear of
the establishment of Government ware
houses for all kinds of commodities from
wheat to salmon, as the purpose of legis-
lation. No explanation is forthcoming
of the necessity or desirability of the
Government laying in huge stocks OF
wheat or salmon or any other article OF
general consumption. If the United
States was at war we could readily I'M
derstand the advisability of accommodating
magazines of supplies, but the United
States is at peace with all the world, and
the lesson of the tremendous struggle
which is shaking all Europe is being ig-
nored by our lawmakers, the very per-
sons who should be the first to heed it.
Instead of legislating for peaceful
people, or people capable OF taking adj
vantage of the commercial chances the
European conflict affords, Congress and
the Administration act as if both were
intent on overturning the Constitutional
guarantees that make for freedom of the
individual initiative. Take the proposed
ship legislation as a striking example of
the attempt to turn the United States
from the ways the trainers of the Consti-
tuition wisely marked out for its progress.
The proposal of the Administration which
has been making the welkin ring with
praise of ''The New Freedom is nothing
less than the institution of government
monopoly of the American merchant
marine. That monopoly would be fatal
to the extension of the merchant marine,
since the Government would be practis-
ing that sunfair competition" which so
moves the wrath of the Administration,
publicly, that it can express itself only
in a series of antitrust bills of the most
inuuisitorial character. The contradic-
ton between the ship legislation and the
anti trust legislation must be apparent
even to the most servile Congressional
supporter of the Administration. Never
mind On with the dance for which
State Socialism furnishes the music. In
this spirit it is also proposed that the Gov
eminent shall furnish marine insurance
during the war, despite the tact that
since the British supremacy on the ocean
became manifest rates have 1alien te
very near the peace time basis.
The worst example of hysterlcal ex-
pediency debating legislation is the Sen
ate's passage of Senator Shoots bill fol
the purchase of $1,000, 600 ounces Of
silver. The Treasury neither needs mol
wants the silver. 1t is frankly declared
by the proponent and supporters OF the
bill that it is intended to do something
for silver" to repeat the phrase OF 1896
The war has cut off the foreign demand
the price Of the metal is slumplng RAPID
Iy. The silver miners want Congress Il
help them "peg the price, so far al
with it lies the Senate helps them
A more indefensible act 1T IS Impossible
to conceive, for the logical outcome O
this silver legislation, if the House acqul
esces, will be the injection OF revlvlhee
Organism into our currency system; -
Congress goes on, each day either reflect
ing the hysteria into which war nal
thrown so large an element OF our paonc
or historically bidding for votes on I'll
own conception of expediency. -bosto'
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