The Washington times., 1920-01-03
PEOPLE WANT
UNREST ENDED
Party Leaders Hurry Back to
Capital Filled With Surprise
{ and Alarm.
By WILLIAM FaILIP SIMMS,
In. 8. Staff Correspondent.

In. 8. Staff Correspondent.
The great unrest which has all but
swept the country off its feet has
not spared the country's politicians.
Congress, which adjourned for the
holidays in an acrimonious muddle,
bids fair to convene Monday in the
same kind of wrangle.
O!d-timers of the two big parties,
after hasty Christmas visit to their
constituencies, are in many cases re-
turning to the Capital filled with
surprise and alarm. They discovered
that the folks back home are impa-
tient for quick return to normal
conditions and in a mood to listen to
almost anybody pledged to that idea.
Third Party Talked.
In some parts OF the country third
party is being talked OF. and among
the lawmakers at the Capitol there
are many who consider such a thing
the natural consequence OF the pres
snt chaos.
Not only are the old line parties at
loggerheads with one another, but
each party is itself prey to conflicting
opinions. And while Democrats and
Republicans stand giaring at each
other across the maze OF problems
now before Congress, factions are op-
posing factions inside the party
camps, delaying action and threaten
ing a continuation of the trouble
which focused the attention of the
world on Washington during the past
several months.
Party rivalry has never been at
higher pitch than now, nor has the
rivalry with the parties. The
Pres dental election this year Is
largely contributory to the one while
the nearness of the national conven-
tions undoubtedly has some effect on
the other. The result rs that scarcely
one of the politicians here knows
where he's at"
"TurmoiI and Doubt"
Vice President Marshall. speaking
at Indianapolis, refIecting the present
state OF disorder in national politics.
admitted there was turmoil and
doubt" on both sides of the Senate
aisle, and that inside both parties
there were two forces at work trying
TO control their destinies. A middle
party seemed to him to be the rem
edy and he delivered himself of the
opinion that his own should become
that party IL 1t wanted to win in 1920.
As things are now ne Indicated.
both the big parties are in the wrong.
While some OF the Senators blame
the treaty and some the league of ma
still ntharS admit that though
something is wrong they haven't the
slightest idea what 1t Is.
"Only God Almighty knows what Is
the matter with the Senate, John
Sharp williams, Senator from Mississ-
ippi, is quoted as exclaiming, adding,
"T haven't sense enough to diagnose
its case"
Nothing, he said. could induce him
20 continue as a member of that body
once his present term expires
Something like the same note of
dissatisfaction was observed by Re-
publicans in Senator Hiram john
sons brief note announcing his can
aidacy for the Presidential nomina-
ton.
AZ fully realize the handtcaps under
which labor" he said, "and the OBJ
stacles which I must overcome
or course any success for me must
come from tHe peOplc thciiioSiNSS' nv
from a certain well-known class or
politicians / am going d.
rect to the people"
There is too much politics" he said
>3ust before he left for his home state
Of California. This was his way of
lsumming up his idea of what ails the
present; and Senator Johnson is gen.
|eralIy conceded to be a pretty astuto
lpolitician himself.
Nevertheless, the most influential
Republicans profess to see danger
ahead as a result of the present situ-
alton.
Ex-President Taft has Issued an un-
)mistakable warning to the leaders Of
his party, urging them to get to-
gether on the issues which separate
them, laying particular stress on the
question OF the treaty. declaring that
unless they do so the pro3ectio~ OF
these issues into the national cam
paign would divide the Republican
party and seriously impair It's chances
" victory this year.
Some OF the Old Guard. however, do