The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-19
Congress on the Job.

Let the new Congress, now meeting
In Washington, draw line straight
across the national ledger as Of
November II, 1918, and probably the
American people will be satisfied. But
the policies and programmes, the con-
tracts and expenditures, the extrava-
gance and waste, the mismanagement
and incompetence of Mr.. WILSON'S
Government from that day on should
be probed from the surface to the
bottom. About all those things the
American people want to know the
whole dismal story so that they will
know what to do about II In the next
national election. And that record
from November IL last will be enough
to damn the outfit.
Not many OF us are going to find
fault with error or even abuse which
must be inseparable in such a pro-
gramme as this nation adopted and
our people backed up almost to
man the hour we went to war. We
were tackling the biggest job the
world had ever known. We were de-
termincd to 80 at 1t IN tho biggest
way that mankind had ever gone at
any Job. Supplies didn't count, money
didn't count, men didn't count. The
only thing which did count was to
win the war. American bigness Of
purpose, bigness of enterprise, big.
ness of genius knew that the way to
win the war was to throw in men,
money, Observation-Disclosures
pendously, Overwhelmingly. That is
what the nation did-and the war
was won.
But that was more than half year
ago. The war ended, but the squan-
der did not end. The mistakes did
not grow fewer. The perversities
persisted. The idiocies stuck.
There was no longer need to buy
and build fleets Of ships as a prodigal
father might buy boxes Of Christmas
toys. But the Government did.
There was no longer need to carry
hundreds of thousands Of useless ap-
polntees on the Government payrolls.
But the Government did. .
There was no longer need to make
guns and armor plate, shells and high
explosives in enormous quantities.
But the Government did.
There was no longer need to con.
sumo for war purposes vast stores Of
steel and other natural wealth essen.
tial to the welfare Of the country.
But the Government did.
There was no need to seize and
hold organized and we'll managed tel
ephone and telegraph systems. tear
ing them to pieces. But the Govern
ment did.
There was no need to go on control
ling prices, marking the public's cost
of living higher and higher. But the
Government did.
There was no longer excuse for
practising half demented tax methods.
But the Government did.
There was no longer excuse for con-
tinuing economic and financial chaos.
But Mr.. WILSON'S Government, indif.
ferent to the rights and the needs OF
the people-as Mr.. WILSON himself,
absent in Europe and interested only
in his League Of Nations. was indiffer-
ent-went on and on with Its reckless
Encouragement and its ruinous
squander.
A heritage Of unpaid bills amount.
ing to hundreds Of millions, even to
billions, Of dollars is left for the new
Congress to meet. The problem OF
getting the telegraph and telephone
services back to their owners 1s left
to the new Congress. The problem OF
saving the railroads is left to the new
Congress. The problem Of repeating
crazy-patch tax schedules 10 left to the
new Congress. The problem Of enact.
Ing a revenue measure which will
clean up those gigantic unpaid blk
while taking care of the current re
quirements OF the Government 10 lef,
to the new Congress- The problem Of
safeguarding the fresh industrie.
which we were compelled to set vi
during the war Is left to the new Con
gress. The problem Of putting tn,
United States Government back on f.:
working business basis is left to III,
new Congress.
The new Congress, under the leader
ship which will now take charge, cal