The evening world., 1919-12-29
AT THE MOVIES.

4
pictures unree on the screen.
As he sits, no one can deny that he symbolizes the
present attitude of considerable part of the American
public toward national ana international issues.
Let's be honest. The people of the United States,
IS whole are not measuring up to the largeness of
current events and problems. They are not in direct
touch with those problems. They are not exerting
direct influence to help solve them. They are not
bringing to the larger tasks of peace the concentrated
energy and purpose they brought TO- winning the war
The most momentous peace treaty in history, in
volying the honor, the prestige and the commercial
advancement of the United States has been for months
The political football of the United States Senate
The Senate would never have dared use peace to
kick goals in game of party politics. if the people of
the United States had taken active, concerted measures
to compel ratification.
Reconstructve legislation-nduStria adjustments
The return of the railroads, revision of taxes measures
to reduce the high cost of living-has waited and
waited.
These urgent legislative needs would not have been
neglected if a determined public had thought hard
about them and put the results of its thinking Squarey
up to Congress.
Despite the Presidents efforts, the costly falSehood
of Wartime Prohibition thirteen months after the ceS-
sation of hoStiliteS has remained on the Federal
statute books.
1t would not have stayed there if the people of The
United States had found their voices and demanded
its repeal.
Representative government in the United States
has not ceased to be, in theory at least, what the
trainers of the Federal Constitution meant it to be.
The Constitution makers assumed, however that
the people would continue TO be at all times deeply,
inelligently actively interested in their national at
fairs and in the way their elected representatives were
al any given moment managing those affairs.
Even the stauncheSt Nationalist advocates of a
strong Government-Hamilton, Morris, Madison,
King and the rest-asSuredly did not plan for day
when the graveSt problems involving international
relations and domestic welfare would interest large
part of the country only as affecting the moves in
closely played game between political leaders. Lincoln
was moi merely attering democracy when he included
the words Government by the people"
The fact remains that at the present time the
American people have lost touch with their Govern.
ment and particularly with their Congress.
Unwonted delegation Of power for war purposes
helped TO produce this unfortunate result The Gov
erment has formed habit of acting without listen
ing 10 the people The people have formed habi
Of letting their representatives act or not act without
a sense of responsibility toward those who elece,
them.
This state OF things is worse than unjust 1t i
Is of r,riD
cples of democracy as Americans have thus far I'm
derStood them
The trouble is, private affairs just in the Unitet
States are going too we'll. When public problem
present neutrality-suspicious. in the solution of whicI
legislators ought TO feel the constant pressure am
guidance of intelligent public opnion-public interes
is passive, inartitulatc, detached.
Most of the country continues TO gaze upon III
unfolding of great issues as if it thought itself com
lortably at the movies.
? Something must happen, something will harper
f. unless the Nation gets back to where its people re
d cover their grip on its affairs
Lasting prosperity cannot develop out OF an er
/. Of money-making during which a majority of Amer
cans are TOO busy with private business to care no,
II the Nations interests are being looked after
.. Better by far panic that suddenly and painful
# turned the attention of the American people to the
=, common national problems and concerns than tina
under the spell of specious and hectic burst of pos
is war prosperity representative government in Ii
I, United States should cease to represent