The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-12
The Temper Of Congress.

Congress would be better qualified to
deal with the present difficult situation,
both with regard to the railroads and
the league of nations, if il had not been
almost continuously in session for the
last several years. Recesses and the in.
TERMS between one Congress and anoth.
er have been few and short. Aside from
other causes, this alone would tend to
promote friction and jealousy
Added evidence that tempers in Wash
ington are bad and nerves on both sides
not what they should be il found in the
angry protests in the House against even
the rulings of Speaker Gillett. Until
within few days ago, Mr. Gillett had
apparently been suayely proceeding with
as much success as If the House had re-
solved itself into an afternoon tea and
no one had risen to question to whom
the hostess should give the first cup.
But in recognizing a Republican instead
Of a Democrat the other day, because
the Democrat was endeavoring to employ
dilatory tactics, Speaker Gillett com
mitted what former Speaker CLARK heat
edly described as an Outrage A year
from next March, when the present Con
gress comes to an end Mr.. Clark win
presumably have cooled down and be
making either the usual motion or the
usual speech commencing Speaker Gil
lett on behalf of the minority for his
fair rulings and courtesy in presiding
At the end of session, both parties are
apt to remember that they have been
playing politics and that good deal Of
their fury, however sincere at the mo.
ment has after all been dictated by the
mere fact Of opposition rather than by
any real cause OF grave accusations. 1t
would be well If what they remember
tehn could be better realized in times Of
crisis, and not merely when the crises
are past.
For the present Congress must remain
in session. But if for few hours cleo.
tions could be forgotten and iockeying
for political position be abandoned in the
face of domestic crisis, there would be
more hope of wise decisions and less
danger Of those both hasty and ILL
judged. If instead of making a spectacle
Of itself for the past two months, Con-
gress had been proceeding to the orderly
tAhHothbblbiA VI buhlutsss ~ 10 pOeolblG
that the labor leaders would not have
refused to await congressional action or
dared to try to elbow Congress to one
side with the assertion that their appeal
was to the people. The fact that certain
Republican senators have been chiefly
engaged in making faces at the president
while the great body of the people, in
Guiding probable ma iority of their own
party, has taken different view upon
the league of nations, has diminished
popular respect for and confidence in
Congress, at time when respect and
confidence are peculiarly needed If there
had been an ADLER, more responsible and
more constructive congressional leader
ship, it may be doubted whether the I'LL
timatum with regard to government
ownership of the railroads would have
been put forward as it was The present
situation is challenge to the develop
ment of such leadership; if it does not
appear there win probably come a fur
Their dominance by the president, what.
ever the wisdom or the unwisdom of the
course which he may urge and in spite
Of the Republican majority. To be eff
fective, Congress, or the majority party
in Congress, needs to know what It
wants and what it does not want, and
to stand accordingly. Springfield Re
publican.