Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-19

In the House would have used the
period of senatorial ipcapncity to make
1.-THE House once more o real legislative
body, The House might have worked
out real railway legislation. It didn't.
II waited until It was driven to act
by the Presidents threat to return the
railroads TO their owners with or with
out legislation. Then it rushed through
the Esch bill with only small minority
OF the members knowing what the bill
was all about. A record had been
made. No one could say that the House
had failed TO pass necessary railroad
legislation. Why take any trouble
about It when the Senate would pass
its own bill anyway and The House in
the end would accept that. barring, OF
course, the anti strike clause on which
members wishing to come back next
year have positive views.
Little Important Legislation
Passed in somewhat the same spirit
were the Greene merchant marine act
and the Good budget bill. on neither OF
which has the Senate acted. The Senate
has acted on the Smoot- Sinnot oil gas
and coal land leasing bill, and this
is now in conference. These are all the
really important measures of the ses-
sion except the food and cold storage
legislation asked for by Presidents vii.
son and virtually prepared by one OF
his departments.
The Democrats view all this with
alarm. The Republicans regard II WITH
the swelling chest of pride. The Re.
publican majority failed to enact. says
the Democratic clip sheet. nine of ten
we'll considered measures when the
President recommended to them in ms
message of May 10. But look at what
we did enact. cXclaims Mr., Mondell. in
spite of the fact that The Senate. was so
enrrossed with the treaty that it could
not co operate.
Democratic politicians try TO see IN
the not very excellent record for ca
pacity which the Republican Congress
bas shown good reasons why tho voters
should change their mind about the
efficiency of Republicans. and the Re
nublfcau leaders did have mOmentarv
scare over the railroad legislation, II
the pnrty failed to pass bills providing
/ for the return of the railroads before
/ thc end Of the year it might be an un-
/ pleasant task to explain why. licnc"
tbn bastc to enact the Esch bill.
! But most observers know that the
/ choice of Il President next year Is not
! going to depend upon the record OF
/ Congress. The people do not take Con-
gross seriously enough for that. Con
greSS can always get by with list OF
bills passed and the election is decided
unon the voters general preference for
one party over the other or more
specifically for one candidate over the
, other Candidat' ..,
| 1t would be better for Congr- SIS If the
voters did pay more attention to it.
Better work would be done. Better men
/ would bc in both houses. The country
would not have come down to the
| level Of Gillctt and Mondell. The House
is weaker than the Scnat" because it
attracts less attention than the Sem
ate. 1t is more confusing spectacle.
Personalities are harder to remember.
Destructive work is harder to do under
rules limiting speaking. The Senate in
turn attracts less public attention than
the President 1T is easier TO watch
one man than to watch ninety six men.
The country has adopted the ready eX-
ncdient of Judging a party 5 fitness by
its work in the White House. Aud
Congress has s!umprd. The eyes OF the
boss are not sufficiently Oh it.
Therefore the Republican and Demo O.
cratic leaders of the House may posture
and gcsticulate The nation will not
get excited over the excellence of the
work of the Republican majority nor
over its failures The House receives Q
passing mark. That is all. And it has
the good excuse that the Senate was too
busy TO help it out.