Evening star., 1920-03-07
SEE PERIL OF GROUP
GOVERNMENT IN u. S.
Elder Statesmen" Warn Against Efforts
of Special Interests to Control at
the Ballot Box.

Cling alliances at homo as well as
abroad" the party wise-men admon-
ish.
A Government BY Party.
This government was organized in
1888. So for more than 100 years il
has been government by party The
party that had the most votes at the
polls was the party that controlled the
government. on a definite program of
legislation passed upon by the vot-
ers. When any party failed to meet
the wishes of the people 1t was kick
ed out-the republicans were ten
years ago, and as the democrats were
two years ago.
But with the new tendency OF mem
bers elected on special issues. and to
be controlled by some organization.
you've got group government either
openly or secretly. and 'iog-rolling"
in its intensest meaning will be "A
logical result.
The menace of group government
looms large at this particular time.
those who are forefending against il
warn, because both Of the two great
political parties have been weakened
by ''dissensions.' Prohibition has
caused very serious disaffection. The
democrats expect to see their ma
tional convention split wide open be-
tween Bryan, the white-ribboner, and
Gov. Edwards Of New Jersey, who
goes with a solid wet" delegation and
as recognized leader of the Tight
wines and beer" element of the coun-
try determined to force such a plank
in the democratic platform.
Cast Votes Of Protest.
Two years ago there was a big so
cialist vote. in many places. This was
due to the fact that large number
of republicans were dissatisfied with
their own party, but wouldn't go over
to the democratic party. and SO they
figured to give the socialists a vote in
protest. There were a large number
of democrats who felt the same way.
and also voted in protest. Thus they
registered their dissent" from the
two big parties. In certain places this
year there is going to be a similar
largo vote for the socialists. due to
many things, and principally due to
prohibition.
A great many people have 50 voted
because they ''dissented' from their
own party-republican or demo-
cratic-or because they disagreed
with their own senator OF representa-
tive The trouble. Of course. with
that sort of thing is that they are
voting for party whose platform
they do not indorse and do not be-
lieve in.
This further splitting up the vote
into more parties is mentioned by
those warning against group govern
ment to show how the Congress, and
especially the House. is In danger OF
being broken up into groups ana
cliques and parties. making the peril
Of coalition government more acute.
This threatening group govern
ment, through the exercise Of secret
methods in politics, recalls the Old
Know Nothings In the forties and
fifties. The open political campaign
would no longer mean anything ou,
wind and noise. because 1t wouloh I
control-the real majority in Con-
sress would be controlled by these
different groups holding the balance
of power. The organization OF the
House and Senate would be brought
about by com binations and trades and
dickering.
Getting AwAy From People.
Foresighted leaders in Congress
democrats and republicans alike
are concerned about the possibility
of the government thus getting fur
ther away from the people OF the
United states and into the hands OF
those who could most successfully
manipulate these groups for personal
ends, through trading and log-rollins
in the House Of Representatives or
the Senate of the United states. IL
was the design of the forefathers OF
this nation to keep the power In the
hands of the people, and for that rea-
son the authority to initiate revenue
biIls was placed in the hands of rep
resentatives elected by the people
every two years, SO that they might
be quickly recalled to private lie
il found to be not representing the
will of the people.
The old-timers in Congress recall
that Samuel Gompers. president OF
the American Federation of Labor,
tried out a scheme OF prescription
In 1906, when he issued a famous
blacklist" and went out to defeat
Littlefield Of Maine
while Uncle Joe" Cannon was in his
prime as Speaker. The republicans
rushed their spellbinders into Maine
and defeated the prescription drive
At that time President Roosevelt
warned against allowing prescription
bv groups to worm its way into the
body. Now that the Anti
saloon League has very successfully
worked the prescription scheme. Mr.
sompers is again putting out an or
xanized labor list of those prescribed.