Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-04
LOST RECESS
STIRS C. O,P.
IN CONGRESS

Continued from Page One)
islative action before. congress in
the next two weeks. Then he will
go out to the country to bald mp a
public opinion to support the rec
, concentrations he will have made.
The president keeps on confer
ring with Republican senators.
Most of them enter the conference
with preconceived opinions and
frankly tell the president they
don't intend to change their views.
Instead of growing irritated with
men who don't want to hear him
explain his side of the league con-
troversy, Mr.. Wilson good-natur-
eddy joshes his visitors about ev-
erything from politics to patriot
ism Many of the conferences have
been surprisingly cordial judging
by the public speeches which
some Of the senators have made at
lacking the president. Senator
Jim Watson of Indiana, Republic
can, is a case in point. Few men
have criticized Mr.. Wilson more Sc
verely than the Indiana senator,
who the two men in the executive
Offices on Friday were, he might
have imagined them the closest of
chums. Peals of laughter issued
from the presidential ONCE and the
senator made a smiling exit.
Getting On Friendly Terms.
Unquestionably, the president is
establishing personal relations on
friendly basis with the Republi-
cans who for the next two years
will control the legislative branch
of the government This will stand
him in good stead in the future for
just as soon as the president an
nounces that he isn't going to run
for a third term and the Repub-
licans turn their back toward other
parts of the Democratic admins
tration or prospective candidates,
the chances are the chief executive
and the leaders in congress will
find it much easier to work smooth
ly on matters of national and inter
national interest in which party
advantage is not directly involved.
Too Much Work For Congress.
The president, however, didn't
improve his prestige in the house
by calling the Republicans back to
work. Many of them had already
started away. But the Republicans
are now getting taste of what the
Democrats in the house used to
complain about-Mr. Wilson's I'M
relenting determination to keep on
working, summer and winter. night
hi indimaFsanHn
to the comforts of the poor con-
gressmen. Since Woodrow Wilson
came here in 1913, members OF con-
gresS feel that they have more than
earned their salaries. They have
been here almost continuously for
six years. First it was the war,
and now it is reconstruction.
There may or may not be politics
in Mr.. Wilson's move.
Cost of Living Is Big Item
Chairman Homer Cummings of
the Democratic National commit
tee, comes back from two /
months transcontinental trip and |
tells the president the people want
something done soon on the cost |
of living, and that in some cases |
they are, much more interested in |
this than in the League of Nations |
or peace treaty. The president al
ways keenly alert to changes in the
political barometer, promptly gets
busy on the cost of living and like
the schoolmaster of old, makes the
stay in school, too. No
matter what the motive, the public
will soon be able to judge-for con-
gress will pour out speeches on
the subject-whether the executive
or legislative branch of the gov
eminent or neither is responsible
for present conditions of domestic
unrest and fretfulness and whether
the one or the other is pushing or
an Improvement in the
status of the average Americans
pocketbook upon which taxation
and high prices have fastened
with penetrating claws
Of greed.