The Washington herald., 1915-04-14
Remember, and Avoid Hysteria.


| A Million Dollar Mob is not the title of A story
| OF Washington life that has just been published
but it might be without violence to the plot Fc-
ton writers often borrow historic settings, and in
this story the author seems to have borrowed
from the French Revolution and the dramatic
power OF the Paris mobs. The Washington writer,
however modcrnizcs the picture. Instead Of a
mob gathered from the slumS OF tho city which
breed poverty, discomfort and revolution, this
Washington mob is gathered from all parts of the
country, where peace, prosperity and patriotism
abound and $4,000 rcvolutionists come to the Cap
a in special trains with Pullman cars the whole
expense met by the money kings OF Wall street-a
sort OF Revolution de Luxe
1t is a daring plot to have an unknown leader
of agitation adopt the rule that money counts,
call upon money kings, and, in a few hours, re-
ccivc a million dollars to finance plan to intini-
date Congress with a mob of $4,000, whose ex-
penScs paid from Wall street OF course, the
| author does not use the word "mob' but calls
his demonstration outpourng OF the good peo-
pie OF the land to rescue Congress from the in
tcrcsts but whose outpouring is suggested by an
agitator and paid for by the interests. So were
the nobs of Paris described by their defenders,
when they rescued the King, took him back to
Paris and cut off his head. But we must allow
ington demonstration is kept free from offensive
terms, but described led by an agtator whom
nobody knows, followed by bishops. ministers,
church members, women and children, singing
hymns but breathing threats against the Congress
that has failed to recognize the demand of the
good people OF the land. These people coming
from peaceful homes. crowd all the avenues Of
approach to the Capitol and mass the east
front, to convince Congress that Representative
Blank represents "thc people" when he to
discharge the committee and pass the bill, and as
the Representatives look in terror upon the great
asscmblage OF Christians, they vote AYE" with
practical unaninlity. Why fear? Is it mob, or
is representative government failure?
James Madison, in his notes the Consttu-
tonal Convention says that it the reports
of such in France that persuaded the con-
vcntion TO provide that the seat OF the national
government should be not in great city, but in
district which Congress should have absolute
control. 1t the memory of such events that
caused Congress to deny Coxcy's army the right
to set foot the Capitol Grounds twenty years
ago and more recently TO refuse referen-
dunn to the residents OF Washington legisla-
ton which concerns them and them alone
But here comes author from Virginia, steep
cd in the history and traditions of that old Com
monwcah and the great Nirgnians who helped
to create nation and with hero born in Nir-
ginia who has forgotten his name his parents, his
whole past, and who, at the age Of thirty, has a
memory Wy five years DID, makes him the leader
OF church people, the agent of the money kings,
who have given him million dollars to finance
demonstration against the Congress of the United
States, which bears a striking resemblance to the
historic pictures of the French mobs that behead
cd Louis NNI and Marie Antoinctte. The new
drama set the old historic French stage is so
daring that it will many people to open their
eyes and wonder whether they are reading mod
crn American fiction or old French~hstory, and,if
would be possible to overturn the constitutional
government of the United States by hysteria as
the government of France overturned by the
Paris mobs. Only a sense OF humor can appre-
cate the satire of the modern lnterpre-
tations of the right of petition, where extremes
meet and 'the great unknown" can command a
million dollars from the money kings. and gather
from all corners of the country $4,000 people, who
with all expenses paid, combine free holiday ex-
cursion with the right of petition and succeed in
intimidating their Representatives, each of whom
is supposed to represent more than 100000 Amcri-
can citizens.
Taken seriously as a suggestion of what may
some day happen in Washington, this story would
be saerilegous insult to the churches and their
ministers, well to the Representatives in
Congress. who arc represented as surrendcrine to
mob OF $4,000, or one twentieth of . per cent of
the citizens who elected them to represent the
interests OF the whole people. II would place the
churches that hate anarchy and love order in a
class with those who are ever ready 10 join the
mob and cry on, against the government, and Il
would make the Congress . pusilisnirnous body oi
Al. A.