Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-04-28
IS TAB00|
VERY FEW PARTISAN SPEECHES
ARE MADE IN CONGRESS
THIS SESSION.
DIFFERENT FOUR YEARS AGO
Duo to Certainty Of Wilson's Renomi-
nation, Disturbed State of Foreign
Affairs and Republican Desire for
Harmonious Convention.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-Congre has aston
ished the Washington correspondents
this year and presumably all Of the
other regular or fairly regular attend
ants at its sessions by its restraint in
talking politics. Ordinarily the ses-
sion Just prior to the national conven-
tions splits Just about half and half
between politics and legislation. This
year the snuffer has been applied to
the candle of politics.
Why is it? Well. for some time it
was thought likely that accident cou-
pied in part with design. was respon-
sible for the Withholding of all but a
few political speeches from the floors
of the two houses. Then reason be-
gan to be applied to the phenomenon,
for such It is, and finally Washington
has made up its mind as to the real
cause for the tabooing in large meas
ure this year party politics from the
debates In house and senate.
The Democrats at present have but
one candidate for the nomination for
the presidency Woodrow Wilson.
The party men in house and senate
seem to think that In the whirl of
events as they are happening, both
in domestic and In foreign affairs, the
arguments for and against their party
are made by the actionaor the inaction
of the administration. 1t is perfectly
true that Democrats in congress make
more than occasional speeches in be-
half of the policies of Mr.. Wilson, but
as most of these policies are outlined
in legislation, the sustaining speech
efforts of the Democracy have more of
a legislative than a party character.
Not So Four Years Ago.
Four years ago in congress things
were different SO far as the Democrat
ic party was concerned. The Demo
Gratis were in power In the house but
not in the senate during the last year
OF Mr. Taft's incumbency. Then there
were some half a dozen Democratic
aspirants for the nomination for the
presidency. Wilson. Clark. Underwood.
Harmon. Marshall and one or two 9th.
ers. The prospect was considered
bright for the election Of a Democrat
to the highest ONCE in the land, and
as result the house and senate sup
porters OF the different candidates for
the nomination frequently made
speeches almost wholly political. and
all of them more or less tinged with
the color of friendliness for this can
didete or that candidate for the nomi-
nation.
Foreign affairs all through the ses-
sion and for some time previous there
to have been in q somewhat ticklish
condition. It has been the custom for
all time in America when the country's
foreign relations hava been at the
straining point for men of all parties
to refrain from attacking directly, ex-
cept on rare occasions. the policies Of
the president. The desire of all men
in congress irrespective of party when
things were getting near the danger
line seems always to have been to
make a showing at least of unanimity
of support for the administration.
1t is not far to seek the reason for
the Republican reticence to talk any
more politics than necessary during
the daily sessions of congress. There
has been an uncertainty in congress
sional circles as to just what the feel
the great issues of the day. foreign
relations and preparedness. Republic
ans apparently want to have as much
harmony as possible in the delibera-
tions of their convention.
Literary Gem In Dry Reports.
There has been considerable COM
ment in Washington recently on a
pamphlet issued by the interior de-
partment on the subject of our nation
al parks. 1t has been said that seldom
has such finely descriptive article,
OF real literary character, found its
place in the ordinary publications of
government.
The appearance Of this pamphlet and
the appealing manner in which 1t was
written has called to mind the pub
location Of an article in one of the
daily consular reports. It was hidden
away amid a mass of commercial ma
terial and few persons at first noticed
It. Finally the attention of discriminat-
ing persons was called to It and 1t
was lifted from its obscurity and given
a place In the light.
The article was written by the late
Albion w. Tourgee. who was then the
American consu; at Bordeaux. France.
This article of Tourgee's stands today
in the estimation of students as the
finest bit of description ever printed
in an ordinary document OF the gov
ernment The government officials did
not realize its merit as bit of litera-
ture and failed to call attention to It.
It never would have been known If a
student of the excellent writing had
not happened upon It in its place of
hiding.
TourPee's article was called simply