Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-02
REPUBLICANS MAY NOW HEAR
THE TAP OF OPPORTUNITY
Defeat Of the Queer Birds of Western
insurgency Permits True Spirit OF
Lfberalizina Progress to Be Needed

E'lGHT damp rockets arc Imply on eN-
IL hibit in Washington as a result of
the futile opposition to Senator Penrosc's
craftsmanship Of the finance committee.
Failure to soar into the lofty attitudes OF
triumph over the "Old Guard" is de-
cisvely to he recorded of Messrs. Borah,
Cummins, Hiram Johnson, Kenyon, Len
root, Capper, Mccormick and McNary.
Defective fireworks have also enabled
Francis f. Warren of Wyoming, authori-
tativeIy to direct the almost equally I'M
portant appropriations committee.
IF all the advance blazoning of the
political pyrotechnic display is to be &C
ccptcd at its own valuation, the fell
genius of stand pattism is oncc more
throttling the Republican party. 1t has
retreatcd into its ancient cave, barred
the door and successfully plugged up all
the chinks whereby the radiant beams of
emancipating insurgency" might enter.
Mr.. Penrosc, Mr.. Warren, Mr.. Lodge,
Mr.. Knox and their so-called fellow "rc-
actionarics," If they are melodramatically
inclined, might strike eXultant attitudes
in assertion Of the victory. These, how
ever, would he merely stage gestures,
and of that fact nobody is better aware
than the actors themselves.
The conventional Republican leader
ship which has taken the saddle in tho
Sixty-sixth Congress involves a very
familiar combination of experience,
ability and cynicism. There can be little
question that its apprasement of the
situation is wholly unromantic and con-
tains no clements of self-deluson. Too
thoroughly schooled in the game are the
present winners to imagine that they
have crushed progreSsivism in the party
or instituted an effective barragc against
sound liberalism and sensible construc-
tive reform.
What they have actually done is to
bring down flock Of extremely queer
birds.
Any ono who believes that Mr.. penrose
and his associates are arrogating to
themselves any accomplishment suIpass-
ing that is decidedly defective in the his
tory Of "Old Guard" politics.
pHlul luIldltlH- ib"NNtl' IlloN'II'N biiVIl
Of the personnel of the lizzed-ou "rcvolt"
persists in some circles. 1t cxcitcs the
fancy to picture ringing challenge Of
"liberals" to "A reactionary Gibraltar, and,
as usual, it is the existence of partial
truth which fortifes the conception.
There is no mystery about the princi-
pies which govern Senator Pcnrosc. If
his methods are frankiy-Sometimes bru-
Ia ly-"practical," it cannot be said that
he ever failed to mako them responsive
to authentic political pressure. His
adrotness may be selfish from the party
point Of view, but for that particular rca-
son he is usually Eeonly cognizant Of the
tides of popular sentiment. A case in
point is the recent absence of unqualified
utterancc from his lips with reference to
tho league Of nations. His shrewdncss is
re-cnforced with solid Legislative ability
and an innate aversion to "freak' move
mentS.
Senator Penrosc's colleagues in con
troll Of the Republican wing of Congress
reveal in varying degree points Of re-
scmblancc. Whether they aim to be so
or not their Sensitvcncss to the barome-
ter of public common sense is acute. And
that explains why, despite the "Old
Guards record, despite the conviction of
many Republican patriots that such lead
ership cannot justify the high preten-
sions of a great political party, the ma
ton is rather relieved than otherwise at
the course of congressional mastery.
Compared with the wooly extrava-
ganccs of the present insurgents, the
standard Republican machinery assumes
an aspect of virtue. But the hope that
some day its wires will be short -circuitcd
and the current cut off is highly engag-
ing. The Republican party is eminentIy
worthy of far higher and altogether
different kind of leadership. 1t will come
eventually, for the public WILL however
inchoate it may sometimes appear. is
seldom denied ultimate and definite regis
tration.
But from the inwardIy fervid. but now
squelched, anti-Pcnrosc group in Wash
ington party redemption is certainly not
obtainable. The disposition of the chair
manships is far, indeed from ideal, es-
pecially in the method used, but of the
alternatives it was infinitely the more
to be desired.
Courageous constructive leadership is
by no means hopelessly handicapped
when it automatically appears in the Re-
publican party. For attestation turn to
the career of Theodore Roosevelt. While
it is true that his liberalism was the
cause of factional breach, it is equally in
contestable that when the gulf was
bridged it provided the avenue to his