Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-24

.. ~ WIZ NY AHPRy PNiAS6o ZIG otAAoA
day, at the end Of a journey down the
picturesque Potomac valley. to discover
the government Of the United States.
I was especially lucky in catching it
at work. OF course the school text
books had said that the people are the
sovereigns, and that they govern thru
delegated representatives, and they To-
cate their government somewhere as
matter Of convenience, but I had for
gotten where. The place Is on a hill
in majestic old building filled with
fine pictures and poor statuary. 1t is
here that the sovereignty Of a hundred
millions Of people is made usahie and
efficient by double headed body Of
about 500 men and women who repre-
sent the voters. This body not having
an p-to- date press bureau had become
almost unknown. But 1t was on the
Job and had been for months, with
coat off and collar unbuttoned during
the worst OF the Potomac weather. and
quite weary and willing to take a vaca-
ton ets 49, tu.
l asked q member of congress what
they had been doing all summer and
here is a list Of some Of the things he
wrote out:
Officially recognized the fact that
war Is being made upon the United
States and in fact that war was COM
menced on the United States some
years ago and has been kept up all
along, and that. defense must be made.
Provided for raising an army by con-
~ tho man
Given the funds to equip and arm
ocean. and to maintain it there, to fight
against the armies Of the imperial Ger
man government.
Authorized the building and use OF
airplanes, new warships. and other de-
vices of destruction to match the i'm
perial program of terrorism.
Arranged to have transports and ot2-
err vessels constructed as speedily as
possible.
Authorized an immediate and enor-
nous enlargement of the navy.
Passed bills providing for punishment
for espionage, for food control. for
price fixing of commodities. for ma
tionalization of Industries where neces-
sary. etc.
Made appropriations larger than ever
before made by any government on
earth for any purpose in such brief
time.
Prepared some kind Of measure Tor
revenue. to raise a small part OF the
cost of war by taxation. and author
lied the borrowing of the rest.
M To-, ri nf
in the past six months by congress. 1t
Is simply the high spots. The biSness
of the program is fairly amazing. The
preparation and perfection OF bills OF
the kind referred to is job for big
men; and the work means many hours
of toll, much gathering of information
free and fair discussion of details, the
task of .harmonizing conflicting ano
diverse views. much of the give and
take out ofswnich comes the best OF all
legislation. One need sit in the gal
,leries but a few days and mingle with
the members in the Hobbies to discover
that the program is one which callec
for much patriotism and high order
of craftsmanship. And after the noun
Of adjournment had been fixed and the
last bill had been signed, woodrow
Wilson wrote it out that
ut seems to me that the work OF
this, remarkable session has not only
bes1s done. thoroughly, but that it has
also sbeeY done with the. utmost dis
patch. possible in the circumstances OF
consistent with full consideration o.
the exceedingly critical matters deal'
with"
And Champ Clark said lust before
he brought the gavel down for the last
tine:
1.-THE amount Of business done is alb
solutely amazing and stupendous
believe that every member Of the
house has contributed all that was IN
him to the support Of the government.
Politics has been abolished. Every man
has simply given, his utmost in patr'-
otism." r...
This was the calm judgment Of two
men who. more than any others. are IN
a position to know Of the task and how
it was done. and it ends all discussion
on that subject. What they said dls-
poses Of all quarrels about partisan
ship, and about which one waved the
flag harder than all the rest. and all
that sort Of thing. And the praise thus
bestowed on the war congress was