Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-07-27
WHAT'S WRONG WITH CONGRESS?

For the past month. while congress fudded and
fiddled around with legislation sorely needed for
the conduct of the war, particularly while the
senate stalled and stalled on the food control bill,
we have been endeavoring to put our views on
the subject into editorial comment and we have
taken two or three cracks at it. An article IN the
Saturday Evening Post by Sam Blythe, editorials
and commentatory articles in other newspapers
and magazines sand the general news dispatches
from Washington stirred us up still further, 50
that when we across an editorial in the New
York World the other day, we could not resist
publishing it.
Here it is-it expresses the situation better than
anything else we have SCENT is especially worth
while reading:
"Politics not legislation, is the trade of con
gress Legislation is merely by-product OF poll
tics This fact is generally ignored in time OF
peace, but it becomes painfully apparent in time
Of war.
Elm the long run, politics in congress will
always take precedence over patriotism This
was true Of the Continental congress during the
War of the Revolution. 1t was true Of congress
during the War of 1872 1t was true during the
Mexican War It was true during the Civil War
IL was true curing Inc OpduiSH-AHiciAcon 'oA' ~
il true now, even with the democracy OF the
world battling for its life against autocracy.
ssCongress lives in q universe Of its own, uni
verse Of patronage, Of pull, Of secret influence of
manipulation, Of posing, Of pretense and OF bum
combe. There il no worse place than Washington
10 reach IN understanding Of the political senti-
ment of the country There is no place in which
smaller percentage Of men is concerned with
ne sentiment Of the country as whole. Senators
and representatives are not thinking Of the coun-
~. They are thinking Of their states and their
districts, and II particular Of the elements, pol!t
iea ana financial that they have to deal with per-
sonally in obtaining denominations and re-elec-
tions
ssIn the first iush Of enthusiasm that followed
The declaration Of state Of war, congress forgot
IL customary occupation It has now returned
q it trade and u playing politics with the war
This y especially true Of the senate, which has
developed the business Of politics far beyond any
thing that the house is capable Of carrying on.
.sSome Of this politics is pro-German Some OF
It Is paci6st Some Of it is business and specu-
lation. drunk with the unprecedented profits Of
war-trading Some Of it is sectional. Some Of it
i partisan in the common, ordinary sense. Some
Of it is the subterranean politics Of senators
whose presence in Washington can never be plaus-
IDLY explained except by indcting the intelligence
Of their constituents But it is all politics. and it
is politics that is holding back the country in war
90 far as the failure enact the necessary legsla
ton goes.
men who are amazed and depressed by some
of the exhibitions that have taken place on the
floor Of the senate can find consolation by study
ing the record Of the lawmaking department Of
the United States government during the Civil
War. when conditions were infinitely worse than
they are today, when senator's and representatives
were personally interested in contracts, when they
were running the discipline and morale Of the
army. when they had both hands in the public
treasury and were stufing their pockets while
they needlessly prolonged war that was drench-
ing their country in blood. Nothing like that has
happened in Washington this time, and nothing
like it will happen. Nor will Woodrow Wilson be
compelled by politics. or by politics and business
in q crooked partnership to make the compro-
misses forced upon Abraham Lincoln because OF a
divided nation.
''It is well not to be impatient with congress,
however great the provocation. 1t is wiser TO
pity it's weaknesses and infrmties and hope for
the best, remembering that at its worst 1t is only
what the American people have made 1t by their
attitude toward government"
THE END OF THE SHIPPING BOARD ROW
President Wilson's action in accepting the res