The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-05-30
DOMESTIC PROBLEMS WHICH
DEMAND SOLUTION NOW
Fundamentally They Are More Vital Than international
Issues Which Have Kept White House Empty For
Months and Transferred Larger Part of Executive Gov
eminent to Foreign Soil
By John Snure

Washington, May 2o.-One hun.
dred and thirty years and more have
passed by since the first congress.
of the United States met in New Yorl
for its first session, with John Lang
don, of New Hampshire, president
pro tempore of the senate, and Fred
erick A. Muhlenberg, of Pennsyl
vania, speaker of the house. Diff
cult and numerous as were the
problems which then stood out ahead
of that congress, they were in many
respects no more difficult than the
questions which loom up ahead of the
sixty-sixth congress, now opening in
extra session.
For the first time in the history OF
the United States a congress opens
its session with the White House
empty of the chief executive, its en-
cumbent having been abroad for
months and, as a matter of course,
out of touch with domestic affairs.
The end of the war with Germany
and the beginning of the reconstruc-
ton period has brought the country
face to face with new issues and new
problems which, so far as the domes.
tic peace, welfare and happiness OF
the American people are concerned
are fundamentally vital
Domestic Issues Most Vital
From many points of view, they
are much more intimately concerned
with the wellIbeing of the people
than the international issues which
for months have been threshed over
at Paris.
From all quarters of the United
States, north, south, east and west,
come demands and entreaties that
these things of deep American inter
est be taken up and dealt with wisely
and comprehensively The new
congress is looked to by the nation
to do this.
Comparatively little was done
towards reconstruction in the last
session of the sixty-fifth congress.
Virtually the entire vast task of law
making for the. reconstruction period |
falls on the new congress The lead
ers of the house and senate realize |
fully what this means in the way of |
responsibility. At the same time,
they feel that while the responsibility |
is great the opportunity is likewise
great and they are not shrinking from |
the undertaking.
This is one OF the times in Amer
lean governmental affairs when the
majority in both houses of congress |
is of different party from the presi-
dent. The house and senate are Re-
publican. The administration is Dem
ocratic and there Is a strong minority |
OF that party in the house and SEN !
ate. Presumably, however, there will
be no serious attempt from the White
House or from minority members Of
house and senate to interfere with the
passage of important constructive
measures which in the eyes of the ma
ton without regard to party, are i'm
peratively needed.
Will Democrats Obstruct?
1t is easily conceivable that policy
of obstruction from minority sources
might make it well-nigh impossible
for the majority in congress to get
needed laws on the statute books.
While there have been intimations
that such obstructive tactics would be
undertaken for the purpose of en-
the majority and for the
purpose, too, of politics, this is hard
w conceivable. Certainly, a consid-
cradle number of the Democrats in
house and senate will unite with the
in trying to get the coun-
try out OF the conditions in which it
finds itself and putting it on sound
er and stronger basis.
With Europe in turmoil now and
likely to continue in turmoil for gen.
erations, with more than a dozen
wars still raging there, with social
conditions. there is upheaval and fear
of Bolshkvism gripping every Eu-
ropean state which is not already in
control of the Bolshevists, there is
ample reason for congress to feel that
it will not do to neglect the great ar
ray of domestic problems, to feel that
these problems must be settled in |
and not on the other side |
OF the Atlantic. Grave as are the in
ternational questions which are to |
come before the new congress, the |
solution OF them is not the solution |
of the home affairs which crowd for
consideration.
Right at the outset, within the next |
five or six weeks, the new congress |
must pass appropriation bills which, |
as they stood i'll the last session. |
amounted to nearly $4,000. 600 600. |
These are the six appropriation bills |
which were pending when the sixty
fifth congress ended March 4. How |
far they can be scaled down is not yet |