Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-10
POLITICAL LEADERS
LOOKING TO FUTURE
Significance of Election of Republican Con-
gress Chiefly Concerns Economic Affairs
and Presidential Campaign of 1920. =,

I east and west in control Of the
| finance and ways and means commit
| tees. It falls out that some Of the
republicans in both houses who are
in line Of promotion. by seniority of
service. for committee chairmanships.
are men whose names arc syrorv-
| nous with a political regime whose
memory is not-weli. not c..cr,snc.. ~
| the progressives of the middle states
, and the west. The democrats think
| that the first signs of trouble within
| the republican ranks will become Wis
IDLE when these men are advanced to
high places in the organization of the
House and Senate.
The republicans hope that this
amiable expectation on the part of
the democrats may meet with disap-
pointment. They say that. for one
i thing, as party. they are pretty well
fed up on the husks of factionalism
during their enforced stay in the
wilderness. If there were any scores
to be evened up, they have been
evened up while the party was being
They say that henceforth they expect
to hold fast as far as may be possible
to a policy of bear and forbear with
each other. They realize that If they
do not they need not bother to take
hand in the game of 192O-''might
|. as well slip their money under the
door and go on to bed"
1t is quite within the range of prob
abilities that the new Congress, which
things. in December, 1919, will be
called upon to legislate upon the
great problem of government owner
ship Of public utilities. as well as
other less far-reaching changes in
economic policies which have been
made for the emergency of the war.
The life of all these emergency laws
is fixed in the acts. their existence to
continue for stipulated periods Of time
subsequent to the proclamation of
peace. These periods vary in months
in the different acts. There will have
to be supplementary legislation for
some of them; others just die, and in
their demise the status quo is re-
stored without further legislation.
So in that new Congress there may
be expected much discussion OF gov
eminent ownership. of paternalism. of
socialism even. New party align
ments may follow, new factional
divisions created. 1t will be hay
making time for ambitious politicians
seeking leadership.
AS thus pointed out, the men who
were elected to Congress last Tues
day on the republican ticket will not
act upon changes in the statute laws
until the Sixty-sixth Congress meets
in regular session in December. 1919,
or in extraordinary session prior
thereto. Many of them. however, are
in the present Congress and will make
the republican record by their votes
on such measures as may come up
from now on. All of them, in turn.
will have for their guidance the plat
forms adopted by the Indiana and
New York state conventions last sum-
mer. Those platforms vary In essen
tiaI points from the democratic plat
ism and socialism. Both parties are
pledged to support the conclusion of
the war and the making Of strong
peace. Every republican leader of
prominence has made q declaration
since election day committing the
party to whole-hearted support OF the
President and 100 per cent American
ism.
Outside of this policy it is thought
that the only effort of the republican
party in the present Congress will be
to supplement the avowed intention
of the democrats to check eXrava-
giant expenditures of public moneys.
The closing session of the present
Congress will assemble December 2
next, and end March 4. 1t will have
to provide the appropriations for the
next fiscal year. The country has in
dorsed the most liberal appropriations
for the conduct of the war. With the
end of hoStilities it Is expected that
there will be demand for closer scru-
tiny of departmental estimates and
cutting down of expenses. The demo-
cratic leaders foresee this and will be-
gin with the blue pencil at once. it is
Said