The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-05-03

kota, Norris of Nebraska, PoindeXter
of Washington and Townsend of Mich
igan were all part of that body Of
insurgent Republicans who endorsed
Uncle Joe Cannon In the Sixty-first
congress. In fact. Norris was the lead
err of the insurgents. Since then Town
send has become more or less regular
while member of the house and he
was considered one Of the Republican
leaders under the management of Jim
Mann. The Republicans have no doubt
of his regularity when he takes his
seat in the senate.
1t takes more than the mere state
ment, 1T will help win the war;" no
matter how often made or how loud 1t
Is shouted, to convince an old stager
like Uncle Joe Cannon that a propo-
sition is worthy. Younger members
may feel reluctant about opposing a
bill II Its proponents howl war ne
cessity" loud enough, but the ex-speak-
er wants to be shown. He recently
expressed his opinion In this respect.
and there is no doubt that Uncle Joe's
opinions get more respectful and at
tentive consideration to the square
inch than those of any other legisla-
tor at the capitol. 1t came at the end
Of one members passionate appeal In
which the Stars and Stripes were
waved and the eagle screamed and
the burden Of his scream was, "Pass
hn
"Of course" remarked Unclea Joe,
emphatically, everything that comes
now comes i'm the name Of the boys In
the trenches Certainly they are to be
cared for and cared for well. Some
times / think that If we could be lit
tie more practical and find out what
the bills we consider mean. maybe the
boys in the trenches would get along
better than If we should merely be
using language; it Is action, not words.
we desire"
With the statement of Majority
Leader Kitchin ringing in its ears, to
the effect that congress would be able
to adjourn by July If 1t attends strict
ly to business from now on, the house
removed its fists from its eyes and
stopped bawling about politics and in
competence long enough to pass IL mill
itary bills In one day recently. Most of
these bills were rather unimportant.
hut two or three involved goOd-sized
appropriations or changes In policy.
Nevertheless the house seemed to be
more or less fascinated by the idea of
a midsummer adjournment, with pros
poets Of four months political skull
busting" before the November cleo
lions, and the usual flow Of useful lam
guage was not In evidence. But
whether the effort will last or not is
another story.
Never an issue of the Congress
sional Record these days but there are
remarks which "deplore partisan
criticism" and also assertions to
the effect that "this is not time for
partisan discussion" At the same
time, as the election gets nearer and
nearer there is an increase Of partisan
discussion. Naturally the attacks come
from the Republicans. They belong to
the opposition party. They are the
"outs." They must find enough faults
with the "ins" to convince the people
that there should be change when
they go to the polls next November.
AS a consequence the "deploring"
speeches come largely from the Demo-
cratic side in both senate and house.
At the same time II is observed that
the Democrats do not hesitate to at
tack the Republicans whenever an OPP
pOrtunity affords. The Republicans
claim they have an excellent excuse
for exhibiting partisanship on account
Of the strong support which President
Wilson and the entire Democratic adj
ministration gave to Joseph Davies,
who was Democratic candidate for sem
ator I'm Wisconsin. With an election
coming on, 1t is impossible to keep
partisanship out of congressional de-
bates.
There are a lot Of whipping boys"
connected with the administration.
Readers Of history know that as soon
as parliamentary bodies or ministries
became responsible to some extent for
carrying on the affairs Of a govern
ment, and even before, when the mon
arch was primarily responsible for
everything, the opponents never at
tackled the head Of the administration
directly but severely castigated the
"king's advisers"
Rarely do the opponents of the adj
ministration say much in criticism d.
rectly of the president, but they do
take it out" on one or more of the
whipping boys" A few years ago 1t
was Josephus Daniels Of the navy de-
partment who was the prime whip
ping boy" Of the Wilson administra-
ton. Since the war began Secretary
Baker has been the principal "whip-
ping boy" and at various intervals
Herbert Hoover, the food administra-
tor; Doctor Garfield, the fuel admin
istrator, and George Creel. the chief
- +ho k,,raa,, of ipforrpo ton Eocb t.