The St. Joseph observer., 1920-05-15

cussing that failure Homer Cummings |
chairman of the democratic national /
in a speech at Chicago /
last week said:
Republican leaders have studious- T,
ly built up the fiction that they are /.
peculiarly qualified to deal with great |
public affairs. In the campaign Of
1913 they stressed that point. They
impressed the people with the belief
that in entering the period of recon-
struction following the war they
would apply themselves to the great
problems of the time with special in
telligence and patriotism.
What have they done? The peace
Of the world has been postponed.
American foreign trade is slipping
away. We have forfeited world lead
ership. Tho whole world has fallen
into disorder. And congress stu
talks.
II have often wondered at the
cause for this breakdown OF the re-
publicans. They do not lack in ex-
perienced leaders who are versed in
the means Of getting things accom-
DliShed. [ have come to the cOnclu-
sion that the republicans have no real
experience in legislating for anything
but special interests"
The fault lies much deeper than
that. This republican congress is
quite capable of enacting constructive
legislation in the public interest if it
were so disposed. It's failure is rot
due to inability but to a definite pro-
gram of obstruction that was adopted
a year and half ago.
The republican leaders and the I.
W. w. leaders have a common policy
in one respect. Both are engaged in
promoting popular discomfort for
their own peculiar purposes. Both
are boring from within whenever an
opportunity presents itself.
The 1. w. w. leaders are concerned
with the manufacture of economic
/ discomfort in order to break down the
| regular labor organizations and gain
control OF industry. The republican
| leaders are concerned with the manu-
facture Of political discomfort in order
to break down the Wilson administra-
tlon and gain control OF the govern
ment. The L. w. w. leaders know
that economic unrest usually reacts
against the conservative labor organ
izations. The republican leaders know
that political unrest always reacts
against the administration in power.
No attempt has been made in con-
gress to enact reconstruction legisla-
ton because the republican leaders
want no such legislation until after
the November election. Their policy
is to keep the country in a state of
fern entation and then blame Presi-
dent Wilson for anything that hap
pens. That is why nothing has been
done, and that is why nothing will be
done. Congress will enact only i'm
perative and unavoidable measures.
II is like the striking coal miners who
agreed among themselves to keep the
pumps at work in order to prevent
the destruction of the property hiIt to
permit no coal to be mined under any
circumstances.
Congress is doing just what the out
law railroad strikers have been doing
1t has broken its agreements and re-
fuse to carry out its contracts. II
there is any moral difference, the ad-
vantage is rather on the side of the
strikers who were at least trying tC
improve the living conditions of them
selves and their families. The rcpub
lican strike has no higher aim thar
partisan advantage.
Mr.. Cummings is heterogeneous il
ascribing the failure of congress 1,
y republican incapacity to legislate 70
anything except special interests. /
is not incapacity, but a calculated pol
icy Of political sabotage.