Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-09
Congress and Its Critics

. EPUBLICAN critics of the alleged ex-
travagance Of the Congress which ad-
journed yesterday will find little in the record
with which to support their charges Sena-
tor Martins analysis shows that. leav wing out
of consideration the extraordinary allowances
for national defense, the appropriations for
1917 are less than sS0o0O0O in excess of
the appropriations for the current fiscal year
he substantial increase in the total is
Que TO the response made by Congress TO the
national demand for preparedness, which
save the army and navy over $685. 900
above normal appropriations. Had the argu-
nenls OF the Republicans been successful
Sl0o.Q00,000 would have been added TO this
6gure
i IS doubtless true that exception properly
caa be taken 10 Individual items in the rivers
and harhors bill, and there is reasonable
division OF opinion to the wisdom of other
disbursements Congress has ordered Re
publican criticisms so buttressed will sound
absurd in the ears OF the country, which has
70 difficulty In remembering what Republican
congresses have done in the past.
The devi! sick.
IN dell a monk would be;
Tn devil well.
Tn devil = monk he.
Just now The Republican party is exceed
ingly SICK From its position OF power
where il was won, TO point with pride" it
has descended into the valleys OF dsenchant-
For nearly four years that has been the bur
den OF its song. In the old days it regarded
itself as highly constructive party and was
accustomed 10 declare the Democracy in
apable OF constructive legislation. Now il
surveys from the depths record of Demo-
cratic accomplishment il has never equaled
and most Of which j, does not dare attack
What Congress has done and what the
President has done are nearly immune from
criticism; it is only the method by which
these results have been achieved that Mr.
hughes and his strikers attack They do
! not venture 10 say we should have become in
! volved in the European war; they merely
! criticize the policies by which the President
has kept us out OF They do not allege
| we should have interviewed in Mexico: they
| only sheer at the means employed TO avoid
! Intervention. They haven't the courage 10
! defend the old Payne-Aldrich tariff schedules:
| they Just minimize the Democratic reform
hey admlt the currency system Of the coun-
try had been incarnatc inefficiency and that
for all their promises they had not bettered
il; yet they deride the details Of the Demo-
cratic accomplishment They say q railroad
strike, to use the words of of their or
gans, Threatened TO destroy the property of
every man and concern in the country and
TO put 10 death thousands OF unoffending
men, women and children; but they find
iau!t With the means employed 10 avert this
ilnmeasurablc calamity
With few exceptions. the Republicans
nave not even the manhood TO say what they
would have done had they been in power
Their candidate for Inc presidency is as de-
hcient II the matter OF vital program as the
cheapest Ehouter on the floors Of Congress
nc paTty OF construction has become the
party Of des,ruc,ion-and there is no great
Likelihood IL viii win much success in itg
-s;a- role