The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-11-11
THE REPUBLICAN RESPONSIBILITY

At the election of Tuesday the
American people gave to Republican
ism one of the most remarkable trlb-
utes of confidence in the history of
the party. In the midst of war,
against the most powerful influences,
the party control in the popular
branch of the national legislature, and
probably the upper chamber also. was
reversed, and responsibility for legis-
lation in one of the most critical peri
DDS of the nations life withdrawn from
the Democrats and placed in Repubii-
can hands.
Pride in this tribute should be bal
anced by gratitude and be renewed
sense of responsibility. Republican
leadership is now confronted by one
of the greatest of it's opportunities.
How will it meet it?
The problem of victory seems now
solved. The problems of peace and
reconstruction are before Us and they
are not less vital to our safety and
progress than those of war.
At the threshold of their restored
power the Republican leadership finds
the duty Of renovating the Legislative
machinery and making congress an ef-
ficient agent of the nations VIII. IL
is not efficient now. The emergen-
cies of the war have exposed and en-
phasized the deplorable weaknesses
of congressional organization ana
method, weaknesses which have lett
congress Intellectual in the face of its
responsibilities, and which would have
compelled even the most reluctant
and meticulous of executives to IN
fringe it's prerogatives under the pres
sure OF necessity. Congressional pro-
tests against executive encroachment
rang hollow because congress was IKE
the dog in the manger. 1t has been
one of the most evil of the effects OF
congressional inability to cope with
problems that executive INVASION mas
been condoned and encouraged, ana
the proper distribution OF functions
under our constitution confused ana
thrown out of balance.
If congress is to retain It's import
ance in the machinery of government
if congressman are to do their duty
for the preservation of our American
sy stem, congress must set it house In
order.
The Tribue believes this is the fore
most political duty of the hour, and 1t
views with the gravest concern the
signs that Bourbonism, intent as al
ways upon securing its own factfonal
power In the Republican party, rather
than upon making a Republican con-
gress the efficient agent of party prin-
ciple and policy, has begun to reach
out for the places of control.
The enlightened leadership of the
party should act with promptness and
decision in this emergency. If Repub-
lican Bourbonism in spite of 1912 has
learned nothing and forgotten nothing
it should be deprived Of influence in
the party counsels. Especially the
Middle West, which is the seat of Re-
publican power and the leader OF vic
| tory in this election, as in many 9TH
ers. should make itself felt without
delay
Republican leadership owes 1t to the
party and the nation to undertake the
reform of congressional organization
at once. The program is clear. First
of all the rule of seniority should be
abrogated. 1t is the bulwark of in
competence. In the present congress
il has automatically thrown the coun-
try into the lap of a section and has
done more than almost any other fac
tor to create waste and inefficiency.
Under a Republican organization 1t
would not be quite so offensive and
costly because in Republican states
there is more frequent change of rep
resentation and fresh blood is posi-
BILE Nevertheless. Republican senior
ity will not bring the most representa-
tive, competent and energetic men to
the head of the committees. In some
cases it will bring men as fossilized
as any southern veteran and almost as
little representative of the living
force. spirit ard ideas of tho nartv.