The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-03-18
Editorial Comment
On Current Subjects
-wHAr a GOVERNMENTAL

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 15.--
Sixty-nine senators were in the cham
Der and voted for the resolution. When
the vote was announced Senator Nc.
Cumber, Republican, Of North Dakota,
declared it served as notice to the
world that "the nation and this con-
gress stand as a single man in defense
OF American rights"
Congress is likely to discover soon
that it has crawled out on the branch
OF a tall tree and is saving the branch
OF behind It. The administration,
which can control congress when 1t
desires to, will be in luck ii 1t does
not make the same discovery.
The gentlemen OF the, government in
MISUNDERSTANDING think that the men
OF the United, States are dolts; that
they are what, In other than selected
Washington political circles--and pos.
sibly even there-would be called
boobs.
They must be regarded as unpercep'
tive. unreasoning, Indifferent atoms
that go about the processes OF their
daily living without thought or the
processes OF the nation.
It would be profitable for congress,
and profitable for the administration,
which can control It, to awake to the
fact that great many American are
seeing red these days and are barely
articulate when they try to say what
thew think Of governmental methods.
The assumption that the average
American Is wholly Indifferent is 60
ina to lead number Of prominent Of
fcials into q great deal of trouble.
Government is betraying it's feeble'
ness every day. Worse than that, It Is
betraying its indifference to its feeble
ness. It Is revealing the insufficiency
OF the American organization and the
Indifference of the American govern
ment to that insufficiency.
These facts are more APPARENT than
the gentlemen In Washington think
they are. They are SO apparent that
they are ma king ordinary. placid, easy
going Americans anxious. They are
also making ordinary, placid, easy 60
ing Americans mad.
The ordinary, placid, easy gong
American thinks he can recognize COM
mon sense when he has to. He also
thinks that, he can detect a la az OF s., u
when the case has become suticiently
conspicuous to be interesting or I'M
portant.
His first assumption is-and what
an udeserved compliment tp authority
it is!-that government is performing
its duty. That assumption WILL pre-
vail year after year against deter
mined outcry from critics. Inc con
hdence of the ordinary, placid, easy
going American In the genuine ste "
fly, usefulness, and thoughtulness OF
his government Is astonishing. ae
Is not critical. He makes Q noise a.
election time. but In fact ne as satis'
fed that he is living under the most
benefcent and most prov1dent OF eov:
etnments and in the end. despite sncn
superficial criticism as he. may indulge
himself in. all will be right because
ll,things have been thought out right
and must work out right.
Upon this assumption. Of. maj en-:
cheney and usefulness politlcs mas
built it's structure. Congress ana tne
administration may be- warned that
this confidence is ctacktng HOW can
it preserve itself What single en-
couragemen has It had from the gov
ernmental authoritiess In whom II mas
been reposed /?
92WnaEs arc Eh6t 4actea Zig y S0AaAA
cry observing American as ne picks
up his paper IN the morning! Facts
which compile merely o record OF IN
adequacy, inefft cheney and 1ndlher.
ence.
it1fitted the ordinary Americana
idea OF his national Vi imp rtance TO-
think that, an outrage having at last
been offered an American community
which disturbe even ashingtont Q
sWlfts and sattsfac Glory iexhibi ton OF
powertWouldi olloW. " NJ n
AS troop sof Wretch Mexican muir.
dereF8 had shot up AN American town.
aud an Americ can camp It did not
dIatinstlyF occur TO- the American mind
that fheretwas somet hing disagreeahly
Isisniiie cent itl IA case Wit which this
|Was done: The American plsad mi
fftfurtfvefys WITH eli shfB anifnh 10 Illus