Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1914-01-08
Lands Democratic Administration.
George Harvey, New York Editor. Say.
Il Is the Most Representative in the
History Of the Country

SoILOE VI kAlG 1NOtbAt EAAuCttNoh sAASbACng
came to Washington last Tuesday night
with his family and went back to his
home in New Jersey today. The prin-
cipal object of his visit was to attend
the coming-out party of Speaker Clark's
daughter. Miss Genevieve, but it is
suspected that he kept his eyes and
ears open while he was here. Speak
ing Of the Administration, he said
There has never been more thor |
oughIy -entative Administration
than the present one. There may be, |
and are, grounds for difference of |
opinion as to whether all of the mem
bers Of the Cabinet are of Cabinet size,
but there can be no honest difference
Of opinion as to the head of the house
or ~ to the sincere service all the MEM
bers of the Cabinet are seeking to rem
der the country. The Democratic par
ty. the only one which can claim to
stand for representative government,
has put its best men forward. There
10 the President who cannot be matched
by any other man in the party or by
any other President who has filed the
office. Bryan makes far better Sec
rotary Of State than Knox ever did. II
the country had been searched over, a
man better fitted to administer the De-
partment of Justice than McReynolds
could not haye been found. Where
could you find in any party more com
petent man for Secretary of the Interior
than Lane. or a more loyal and well
equipped Secretary of War than Gar
Fison, or so accomplished Secretary
of1Agriculture as Houston
i SAME IN CONGRESS.
i TIT is the same thing in Congress.
! There is in all this broad land no one T
!: can think OF who would make SO capable
sS5;a Speaker of the House as Champ
Clark. The Democratic leader Of the
q House, Oscar Underwood, cannot be
matched. There is no one who could
\ take Eitzgerald's place at the head of
! tho Committee on Appropriations with
advantage to the country. There has
never been a time when the average
: ability Of the Democrats in the House
was so high. when that body was 80
REPRESENTATIVE of the best there is in
the party, when there was such intelli-
gent and effective team work, when SO
much has been accomplished in con
structive legislation, when the interests
of the people were in safer hands
There are some cracks in the Senate
that ought to be filled; but even in that
slow and unresp0nsive chamber the
Democratic side answers fully to what
. representative legislative body ought
to be.
"Of course there are things open to
criticism and that should be criticised;
but If the Democratic party cannot win
with the men now in authority in the
executive and legislative branches of
the Government it can never hope to
win. We have put the best we have
on guard. think criticism is whole,
some il there is a reason for it, but
criticism to be effective must be reason
able, and it should be administered
with the sole object of promoting the
public welfare, The President has nc
more loyal supporter than /, nor is
there any one who more sincerely de-
sires the success Of his administration.
II or others point out at times legis-
lative tendencies or executive acts
which do not aeem to be for the benefit
Of the country, we should not be
charged with disloyalty, but rather
commended for suggesting point Of
view that may have escaped proper
consideration by lawmakers and ad.
ministrators.
CRITICAL PERIOD FOR PARTY.
This is most critical period in the
life Of the Democratic party. There
will be an election in all the States this
year for members of Congress. A
change of "A members in the political
complexion of the House will give the
Republicans control of that body. In
the present congress there are 281
Democrats and LA Republicans. The
Democratic majority is LAT. It would
look, on the face of these figures, as
though It would be impossible to over
come 80 overwhelming majority: bu,
: greater majority than this has been
overturned. In the SD Congress the
Democrats had 2s6 Representatives and
the Republicans 50; in the 54th Con.
gress the Democrats had 1O4 members
IL the House and the Republicans 246.
Only twice in the last ten years have
the Democrats had majority in the
House. It Is well. with all of our POI
Mtical history behind US to take nothing
ter granted in the shifting politics OF
this country.
Democratic defeat at the next con-
Rressional election would be irretriev-
able disaster. It would mean that the
constructive legislation so happily be-
gun By Mr.. Wilson would be halted.
and I can think Of no worse calamity
than that. - believe the Democratic
party Is theAunly one atahding.f for rep
reeantative government ia thiscOuntry,
end / think il the duty Of all who
would promote this cause to support
~ present Administration in its great
purposes rather more By wholesome
counsel than BY blind devotion. !;