The Republican journal., 1918-10-31

| tinuation of this centralized authority.
! Certainly the nation will not consent to
take its legislative functions from the
hands of Congress and place them in the
hands of the President. If the Overman
Bill giving the President power to ap-
point Commission on Reconstruction
were passed, the sole function of such a
commission would be to investigate the
subject and then recommend to the
President legislation which he in turn
might recommend to Congress. 1t would
then be necessary for Congress to make
its own independent investigation and
decide for itself whether or not it desired
to accept the recommendations of the
President.
THEREIN lies the opportunity for pro-
crastination which the Overmau Bill, if
passed, would almost inevitably bring
about, no matter who the President ap
pointed on his commission. There is also
a deeper danger in this bill Not only
would it permit procrastinatjon and in
fact almost compel it, but also it might
place Congress in the position of being
compelled against it's will on the score of
expediency to pass legislation recon-
mended by the President, but which it
had not fully considered
"Sooner or later Congress will have to
pass on the various phases OF the Recon-
struction problem. The next Congress
will be a Reconstruction Congress. After
that it is more than likely that several
Congresses will have to give much of
their time and thought to the various
problems of Reconstruction. They are
not going to resign the legislative func-
lions vested in them by the Constitution.
Congress should now exercise its inner
ent function of beginning the shaping OF
these policies 1t should not hesitate or
delay in their consideration. Nothing
but firm constructive measures carefully
considered by all legislators elected by
the people will do.
'The future calls upon US; not dis
tant future, but an immediate future.
peace will bring to US vast relief,
but that relief will be relief of strained
nerves rather than a relief from econom-
ic strain. At the coming of peace we
must face a world half destroyed, with
whole populations detected from their
wonted ways which they must learn
again to travel.
"This will require the soundest con-
structive craftsmanship. | do not be-
lieve that America will fall into the
abyss which has already swallowed more
than one country in Europe, and which
may well swallow others of the warning
countries, the abyss of extreme radical
ism which means sometimes the Com
mune, sometimes BolshevlkiSm, some
times Anarchy. At the same time l
have no idea but that we must expert
ence great change along the line OF
progress in our economic and social llfe
But to avoid the evils of Extremeism
only one course is open to us-that IS to
adopt now our policies of Reconstruction
and prepare to avert the perlls OF peace
"The Republican effort in Congress at
this time, as take it, is to place the So
luton of these problems of Reconstruc-
ton, forming the very marrow OF the
country's necessities, in the hands OF a
Joint committee representing both par
ties. 1t provides that the best brains
and the best visions of both parties be
utilized in properly considering all the
evidence that may be brought forward IN
the experience of other countries, as well
| as in the experience of our own. 1t pro-
vides that the best and most complete
light may be shed upon these questions
before they are settled so that when they
are settled the program on which the
country enters in the after-war peIlod
will not be program of experiment,
half-baked program of part theory and
part undigested practice; but that it may
be instead the enlightened twentieth CEN
tury program of the nation whose ability,
force and wealth should make 1T the
| first leader of the world
''There is but one way in which the So
luton of the Reconstruction problems
can be made non-partlsan. That IS by
making them bipartisan. They can be
made bipartisan only through the enact
ment of some such measure as this Re-
publican Weeks resolution. Otherwise
I Reconstruction will be a party problem,
or possibly even less than party prob
lem; possibly problem for certain linn
tied influence. within the Democratic
party"