Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1919-07-26
WHAT WILL THE HARVEST BE

WHAT WILL THE HARVEST BE
Congress has tackled some of the big
problems of legislation with deter
mination that promises results, and it
it to be hoped that the harvests of the
present legislative session will measure
up to the crop estimates.
The Senate has spent good deal of
time debating the League of Nations
and the Peace Treaty, the net results
of which indicate that the supporters
of the President are backing definite,
concrete, policy. while the opposition
sort o paved the air. Daylight saving
has occupied a good deal of time in
the forefront as a legislative problem.
and members of both branches of Con-
gress busted themselves cutting the
hands on the clock in their vain en-
deavors to make it matter Of tre-
mendous Importance whether ''lungs
begin to crow like chanticleer" an hour
earlier or an hour later each day. The
program of the Secretary of the Inter-
Tor to furnish lands to soldiers has in
sistent supporters in Congress, but
somehow or other, there is a lack of
enthusiasm that does not spell hope
fulness.
When everybody pulls together,
things move at Washington. There
is fresh evidence of this in the fact
that after several years the Senate has
decided to ratify the treaty with Col
ombia, and to give that country some
thing like $25,OO0,0O0 for putting
them on the map. by reason of having
brushed them aside in order that the
Panama Canal might be built. But
twenty five millions is large incident
nowadays, and in panoramic Pam
American days like these, who wants
Colombia to keep on nursing crouch
against Uncle Sam2 Since Colonel
Roosevelt has, passed away the main
obstruction to the Comombia settle
ment is removed so the Senate
has grown sweet and tractable and In
dulgent with innocent" Colombia.
1t remains to be seen whether Con-
gress will get on top of the big indus
trial problems that confront 1t, or
whether, as in the case of the last Con-
gress, final adjournment will reveal an-
other legislative wreck. with hope de-
ferred in the manner that maketh the
heart sick.
The last campaign books revealed
how Congress made many, and won
derfuI laws for the people. Both great
political parties claimed the credit in
their guilds to spell-binders. 1t is fatu-
Gus to say that Congress doesn't pro-
duce results, for when it steams up
as was particularly the case in enact
ing war measures things go by with
a hum. But the Congressional locomo
tive is most awfully shy of collisions
with public sentiment, and the old
steam horse has for a long time been
cycling askance the water-pOwers, the
public utilities and the railroads; and
the realization has been percolating
nightly slow that there is a clear right
of way in sight for the settlement of
these problems. However, though the
unleavening processes have been ted
ious, there has, nevertheless, resulted
a definiteness of purpose that is en-
couraging. Out of the present ar
rangement there may be evolved an
early solution for many of these A ]
problems.
1t is recalled that the task of reform
ing the banking system of the country
was taken up in Congress six years
ago. The method of national bank
control was as vascillating and wobbly
as that which had been applied to the
railroads for a quarter of century.
But in the case Of the banking system
Congress made steam; psrfisanship
was thrown aside. and in a single ses-
sion the Federal Reserve Act had been
passed and had the signature of the
President. Our banking system has
since weathered world war. and on
its sure foundation our country has es-
tabIished itself asa world banking
power. Will Congress do as we'll with
the railroads. which are now the first