Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-05-22
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RESPONSIBILITY MAKES A DIFFERENCE

IT is one thing to be in the minority and stand ON M d mes
and criticize those who are responsible for what is being done; 1t is
,uits . different thing when the situation is reversed and the minority
becomes the majority with the entire responsibility shlfted 10 hOS
who previously had been the critics.
That is the position the Republicans find themselves in in Con-
gress today. Ever since Woodrow Wilson has been President the
Republicans have endulged themselves in the pleasant pastme oil
throwing bricks at the administration They declared that wilson
was a autocrat who made congress eat out of his hand; they insisted
that their prerogative had been taken away ana n me government
was a one man affair.
Everything was going to the dogs under President Wilson and
the Democratic regime, according to the Republicans. There was
nothing good in anything that he or the Democrats DID, Time ana
aean when the President has stolen the thunder of his Republican OPP
ponents by doing just what they advocated doing, they would be non
plussed for the moment and then trump up some other reason for
finding fault.
The latest instance of this is the covenant of the League of Ma
tions. Republican critics of the President fairly tore their hair in
their opposition to the draft as first presented and all kinds OF sg-
geshons were offered to make the document effective. Without much
fuss or adoo the President returned to Paris and succeeded in having
included in the constitution of the League of Nations practically all
of the suggestions made by the Republicans, at least all the important
changes that were recommended were made. 1t is quite evident that
the Republicans thought it could never be done for they were speech
less for a time and then when the full draft of the amended covenant
was made public, Senator Lodge, the Republican leader, hastily tee-
graphed to all his colleagues to remain silent until they could get to-
gether and trump up something new in the League of Nations to OPP
pose. Evidently the senator feared his colleagues might put their
foot in it if they all started out afresh to critcise that which they had
already recommended. Mum has been the word ever since excepting
that 1T is announced that the Republicans will insist on changes IL the
draft, although it is not announced what changes will be demanded.
Today the Republicans find themselves in the majority in con-
gress. No longer can they stand on the side lines and condemn, criti
clze III OWl al 10 carrying lit responsibility o. bringing the ma
ton through its greatest crisis in history. Today the responsibility is
all with the Republicans. No longer need congress eat out Of the hand
of President Wilson. They can ignore him entirely as far as his recon-
mendations and ideas are concerned, if they choose. Whatever hap
pens from now on as far as it lies within the power of congress is en-
trely up to the Republicans
Il is plain that some of the G. @. P. do not relish the job. 1t is a
whole lot easier to stand on the side lines and find fault than it is to
perform a constructive work that will meet the requirements of the
country. President Wilson, with a thorough understanding of the
situation, has made his suggestions and recommendations in his mes
sage which he eabled from Paris. Congress can carry them out or
they can ignore them entirely and carry out ideas of their own, as the
majority chooses. Plainly the Republicans do not relish the situa-
tion. tt one thing to criticize the action of the Democrats in the mat
ter of womans suffrage and prohibition, but when the issue is put
ssuarely up to them, as is done in the Presidents message, it is diff
ferent.
The President has merely handed congress his opinion as to what
should be done; he has turned everything over to the Republicans,
just what they have been clamoring for, yet they are dspleased. They
ridicule the message and say ii a "lemon." They call it demogogcl
and refer to it facetiously as delightful in its phrasings and
rhetoric" |
Yes, it makes quite a difference where the responsibility lies when
it comes to fault1fnding and criticizng. The responsibility is all the
Republicans today. 1t is likely that a very different tune will bel
heard from now on. |