South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-01-11


W efforts the country the Dol
shevlsts. !. ". VS. communists. or other reds,
who propose the humiliation change the
Of American institutions by direct action" =
might be TO reflect on the eve OF the presiden-
tisl campaign. whittier we have arrived" Much
Is being said against the attempt substitute the
soviet for the republic in the American system and
the big majority OF in open opposition 20
such change. and yet how far from H. in
our own present way OF conducting our public ar
fairs
For years It has been conceded that
government By purties, and considering tile modus
operandi what is N political party but soviet
the organization which martials the people OF its
faith and then stands between them and the GOV
eminent. savorng or the Russianesquc 70 say the
least There is a republican soviet. and a demo-
cratic soviet over here and socialist soviet and
a proposed communist soviet quite as distinctly as
there soldiers, and sailors and workmens and
peasants soviets I'm Russia Among the main diff
ferences is that political parties take in whom.
soever they inveigle Joining them. regard
less Of occupations or calings and after the cleo
tions, ali but found to have been eliminated
each election district. and the respective of
hces-while In Russia all arc represented save the
bourgeois who not Permitted any part all.
OF course not ready to trade, admit OF
any such change-not by jug-full.-and the
so. the most OF will say, after have stopped
10 think because of the uuwelcome ruts that our
exaggerations of partisan power. and the sovieting
Of it. have gotten into. We have too much "au
for party none for in our political life
it is without surrendering any dictatorship OF
any class directly and yet while we are condemning
the soviet as they have it in Russia, might IN
augurate . little Improvement of the kind that we
have al home.
witness for instance, this one of the hindrances
Of government that the partisan soviet as we have
il. vouchsafes When the fathers of the Ameri-
constitution work that document
shey showed a great deal OF foresight wisdom and
judgment, but they overlooked pOssibiIity-the
development OF the two-party system. jealous Of
third party Enthusiastically has since done queer
things to our governmental machinery. clogging it,
in spots almost badly soldiers sailors work
mems and peasants soviets might have done.
thing the two-party system, the partisan
soviet We have it, has made it not only
possible but probable. for the president and the
congress to get into such thorough opposition to
each other toward the end OF a presidential term
that little important national business gets it
self done. Nearly all Of our presidents in turn ex-
. Derience this difficulty It with Washington
himself. 1t was so with Cleveland. Roosevelt and
Taft is today with Wilson.
The result is that in all likelihood the actual leg
between
1921 viii be not only below the needs of the coun-
try but below the ability of congress and the pres-
dent to achieve at another period. This means that
a lot OF important problems will accumulate in the
next IA months which viii call for early and swift
action when presidential commences.
There probably never was a period in the nations
history when effective government action was more
needed than now. Most OF this must be faced in
the next administration.
Theoretically it is in the power Of the American
people to say who shall handle these problems
when that time comes. The public possesses the
machinery for nominating the right kind OF can
ddates and electing president suited TO the need
OF the time. To do so. they must give time and
thought TO the available candidates The politicians
are busy already. They can run the whole thing
beautifully without the aid the public however,
II the public would begin right now to acquire the
fullest possible information about presidential
possibilities with a view to forming and hon
thorized electorate.
Instead OF allowing ourselves be inveigled INFO
overlooking the evils of our own soviets-the
dominant parties. and becoming submerged in their
quarrels-through propaganda that leads us 10
think only OF the soviets Russia. it might not be
bad idea for us 20 take little direct inter
est In our home affairs. If the people would only
exercise little more of the theoretical power that
is vested in them. rendering it practical. own
country would soon he more of a true democracy,
end truly republic representative of the peo-
pie than soviet OF parties playing the people for
pawns.