Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-18
An Overplaycd Game

I MESS the public mind has undergone a
- constitutional change, the Republican
majorites Of the House and Senate are rid
ing to fall. They are OVERRIDING the part-
sanship game to such all extent that it will
inevitably react against them. and they will
find themselves before many weeks pass
sadly regretting that they did not exercise a
little sense with fair mixture of fnesse. in
the wholesale and retail campaign which they
have launched against the present admins
tration, against the army and the navy,
against the treaty of peace and against every
governmental activity that bears Demo
cratic stamp.
The American people fundamentals
fair-mindcd. They may be deceived for a
time by charlatans by wreckers and even by
sincere but misguided critics. But they will
never he made conscious parties to persecu-
ton, TO mere partisan practices or to the
damnation of any man group of men
against whom no righteous thought may be
harborcd. If they find that the present legis-
lative majorties not. after all. concern
ing themselves with the public welfare; if
these bodies not intent upon patriotic
duty and that their sole motive in their
broadside attacks is to visit discredit upon
public officials who are not discroditable.
they will turn in their wrath upon the false
witnesses themselves.
Recent performances in the House and
Senate indicate to any calm observer OF
events. an inclination on the part of the Re-
publicans TO run amuck. Their unreason-
ing bitterness toward the administration and
their hatred of the President personally have
blinded them to the very decencies of public
relationships Their whole desire seems to
be to rend something. They want to blast
the administration to- bits They are even
now in the attitude of swinging club around
their heads. regardless of whom it hits so
long as the victim is a Democrat
Already il has become obvious to a few
of the Republican leaders that this sort of
thing has kick in it; that it will prove
boomerang, and will defeat the very pur-
poses for which it is being perpetrated. That
sly old fox. Penrosc. OF Pennsylvania. is one
OF those who has caught the drift of things
and he has called some of his colaborers to
time. lie has told the House leaders for
example. that their projected Investigations
mus; not be made on party basis If they
are, he says. they will be worse than failures
They Will react upon the party responsible
for them.
So far, however, the Penrose counsel has
not prevailed in the Senate. He might be
expected to influence Lodge his team-mate
but ne can scarcely expect Borah to accept
his Judgment, and the latter has given notice
that from this time forward he has thrown
of all restraint. He insists that he will fight
TO the very finish and that he means to bomb
woodrow Wilson at every turn OF the road
Very naturally, Democratic leaders are in
cllned TO accept the situation With eauanim-
NY They are voting almost soidly for every
investigation that is proposed They are
protesting, in order to keep the record
straight against packing all investiga ting
committees with Republicans but thew seem
entirely content TO give their Republican
brethren all the rope that is wanted The
further they go and the more madly they
carry on their campaign, the more certainly
the pendulum will swing he other way