The Washington herald., 1918-09-13

l6SAD4 -. ~
J. Ham Lewis. who despite his un-
fortunate start from Europe IL likely
to be with us shortly. started . real
debate when he sighted the issues
so far as 1890.
With issues changing from month
to month these days the Illinois
Senator does well TO look ahead so
far Some discerning editor has been
unkind enough to call attention 10
discrepancies in J. Hams state
ments, but the writing person leaps
long gap to pick his flaws.
We wonder what the effect would
be II 1t were said that the principal
parts of ]. Hams post-nocturnal in
terview were taken from "confiden-
tial" talks he has had at various
times with President Wilson!
We wonder what the discerning
editors of the country-those who
have found fault with J. Ham ana
those who have agreed with him In
part or in whole-would say II they
realized he was voicing something
that the President has thought OF
many timesl
1t must not be forgotten that with
his display of olumage. j. Ham also
carries q fairly conservative cargo.
Sometimes there are rare treasures
aboard. indeed-perhaps here is one
which we have all been too prone to
fall upon quickly and condemn as
Lewisonian exclusively and entirely.
1t might be that a careful search
to find the authority and inspiration
for J. Hams Partisan remarks-as
given to our friend Selden-would take
US no farther away from Washington
than the vicinity of the White House.
1t would be no surprise.
Burton Hendrick recently gave us
vivid portrayal in Harper's Maya
zine of the American city denuded
Of politics and run wholly on business
principles.
Such a thing Is interestingly true
II cities can be run this way so
can counties and States-and so can
the Federal government eventually.
But is 1t desirable?
We say No" without the least hesi-
tation.
Cities bereft Of political battles of
some nature or other-they need not
be partisan necessarily-are like
home without the sentiment of love.
They become cold, inert things, un-
interesting to their inhabitants and
likely to cause their citizens to lose
all enthusiasm for them.
There is something more to govern
mental life than the mere saving OF
money, the conduct of public affairs
on the clammy basis of nothing but
dollars and cents.
When the sentiment, the spirit, the
enthusiasm, the real forces that de-
velop, are removed from public ar-
fairs, the public suffers somewhere
inevitably. The results may not be
discernable today or tomorrow or the
day after, but they will become man
ifest sooner or later. And when that
time comes the city or State Will
have to re-instill life and ambition
into the public affairs.
Nor is all this a defense OF political
mixing to an extreme, or the indis-
criminate expenditure of public funds.
There should always be reason woven
into the operations of government
good Judgment, discretion or what
you desire to call 1t.
But eliminate the interest the pub
lie has in its government and you
eliminate the one essential that is
necessary if good government is to
be produced and maintained. Again
we say good government doesn u show
up on the account books alone-it
isn't measured in balances OF the pub
lie funds. Think it over, gentle
reader. ..E1
Naturally there was joy uncon-
fined at the White House yesterday
over the results administered 10
Senator Hardwick in Georgia. The
result was more than surprise to
Senator Hardwick himself who had
polled all of the counties of the
state and who thought that he was
welI-nigh invincible at the present
time, in spite OF his war record.
Senator Hoke Smith felt that his
was being deceived as to
however. He has de-
clared all along there was enough
sentiment in the
Democratic party of his State TO
bring about the defeat Of the anti
war Senator. This was amply
borne out by the results.
One effect of this will be to make
the Republicans have healthy
respect for the Presidents power,
though, of course, the same infiu-
ences might not be expected to
work so ravenously in Republican
State as in a State where the Pres
ident once lived and practiced law
and which is governed exclusively
by his own party.
Our word yesterday was that C.
A. Lindberg of Minnesota would not
be appointed to a place in the War
Industry Boards organization.
This is encouraging for it was
thought for a time that the non
partisan leader had a good oppor-
tunity to become identified with this
important branch of war work.
Objections filed by numerous
members of Congress, among them
Knute Nelson, U. S. Senator. it is
suspected. brought about a change
in the plans. ....,....
1t would be interesting. now that
the affair is closed to know who
was standing sponsor for this mans
elevation to a high place here at
Washington.
Wonder If Mr.. Baruch would care
to tell?
Let's have this information so as
to close the history completely on
the case-it never will be entirely
closed until this Information is OBJ
tained.
Why not out with it?
We're all in now-the job thus be-
comes more important to each and
all of us between the select ages
of Is and As.
Our principal business is the wag-
ing of the To intArinIIs end