The Washington herald., 1918-01-03

erendum which was the govern
mental absurdity proposed by Will
| liam Jennings Bryan-has not pros
| pered since the war in Europe came
on. Its setback has been deplored
by some of the so-caIled progress
sives," but it has in no wise been
.. mourned by those who had the in
terests of the country at heart. The
belief is, among those who have
given the matter some thought
that the danger was scented afar
| of by the leaders OF political par.
| ties and that the proposal was re-
! garded by thinking men as too un-
workable If not too dangerous To
be given serious consideration.
Examples of the disastrous features
of some of this radical legislation may
| be found in Russia. The people there
| want too much power. They have it.
| too. for a time-and so long as they
have it the same state of chaos thai
now prevails in Russia will continue
to prevail. Reason cannot be restored
| to Russia until the Russian character
| is changed to the point where public
| servants are trusted. and where there
! is a stability assured the government
which will not permit OF its upheaval
! over night or the complete 1iffylike
overthrow of both officials and poll
! cies. Our own government differs from
| Russia in the fact that we Tepose ouI
! trust in officials in periods OF several
| years each, and that during those pc.
| riods they are not subject to disturb,
ance Moreover. the acts of the leg
| iSlative body of the nation are not re.
! viewable directly by the people. The
. hat hn la
; referendum interfere with the pro-
| posaI and the carrying out of great ma
/ tional policies, gives stability to our
! government, and the, spirit of tfIst
! thus imposed makes it possible for Us
I to have a government of reason.
We have what Russia has not be-
cause we adopt the ways of common
! sense and practicability. Government
+, Is a condition and not theory-and
| the supreme test is in war. We are
, making good because those who plan
! ned our government foresaw what
| dangers might arise and what means
could be utilized TO combat them. We
/ are making government a condition
| for our elevation while Russia, which
! thinks of government as a mass OF
! theories, is steadily deteriorating.
The effort to fix the prices of all
articles of necessity. or to delegate
| the power to officials capable OF
| exercising it in the interests of the
country at large. has not been given
up. Soon after Congress meets
again the matter will come up fol
virile consideration. Those who
want to see the legislation pressed
| insist that it will find wonderful
! Endorsement at the hands of the
people generally and that if Con-
gress takes cognizance of what is
| going on back home-as it will in
view of the interesting little event
which happens in the lives of all
| House members and one-third the
Senators next fal1-some such leg.
| islation will be speedily handed
down to meet present living condi-
tions.
The case OF middle western farm
ers who saw the price of their
wheat subjected to the price fixing
| clause and who were saved from
complete rout, in this respect, by
the enactment of provision fixing
! the minimum at $500 a bushel. Is
, characteristic. While the farmers
have to stand for this regulation
on their product the twine with
which they bind il, the machinery
with which they cut it, and with
which they thresh it and haul 1t to
market is sold in a market which
knows no price fixing. The farm.
ers say this isn't fair. They are
willing to stand for regulation qt
all their products, but they want
| IN see the prices of the things they
buy fixed Just as they are fixed or
the things they must sell.
THE OBSERVER.