The Washington herald., 1920-05-02
What american People Are Really Thinking Told Mail Conessm
LIQUOR AND LEAGUE
DEAD, LETTERS SHOW
and Cheaper Goods; Home Problems,
Love and LaughterR Register.

Into the mail bags of Congress
goes The thought of America.
Slam it as he will, the average
American seems to believe Congress
is omnipotent and that all things may
be accomplished by the wave of q
wand, or rather by record vote. p
To his representative, he write.
of the things in which he is vitality
interested, and glimpse at his letter:
reveals the thought of the American
people as perhaps does no Other
source. s--.
Careful study of the current mai
of congressman from all parts o
the United States by Sunday Herald
reporter shows:
Prohibition Is not discussed in
masy letters e<espt IN those from
: California, Massachusetts, Ncy
Jersey, Milpoakee and ono or tro
other large cities.
Very fe1v letters reeeiped at the
CopitoI last Ipeek mention the
peace treaty or the league of
nations.
Higher 1oogss and lo0oer prices
are the burden of the cry from
oil classes IN all sections.
Lope, haHor aud other emotions
sparkle through the pages and
eresb oxt bettpren the lines.
Goal men lDant more eorS as a
solution to the production prob
lem; soldiers scant bonus;
farmers 1rdnt more labor.
Nesp Englond IS interested in
daylight saving; the South IN the
bink boil 1rorm and eotton-priee
firing; the West IN oil and land
DEVELOPMENT.
But LITTLE discussions of the COM
ing Presidential campaign enters
into the correspondence. Very
fear letter sriters suggest favorife
candidates.
It is q poor American who doesn'
get a laugh at least once ever
twenty-four hours. and It is a lea
mail that doesn't bring an echo o
that laughter.
Recently Representative John n
Baer. Of North Dakota, attacked tn
number OF government bureau.
Since the government has to
many bureaus" came q letter fror
a Minnesota woman, 'T would lik
very much to have three Of them.
have three daughters who are abou
to start housekeeping, and coul
use the bureaus to good advan
tage."
Marriage enters into the letter.
and sometimes in an odd way. 81
am a woman. 70 years Old" runs
letter to Representative william
Ashbrook. of Ohio. "and a man O
-73 wants to marry me-" She di
not mistake Mr.. Ashbrook for ''vir
Rinia Lee" but was worrying abou
her pension. 'Tf he died, would
get my pension back?" she asked.
No Constructive Program.
The high cost of living is perhap
foremost In the minds OF most pee
pie. From every section come out
cries against excessive costs, an
pleas for Congress to do some
thing" Just what that fsomething
might be is not made clear, for. a
though people are thinking con
stantly of high prices, none of ther
seems able to evolve a plan Of re
duction. True. one man in Indian
wrote to Representative Everet
Sanders. suggesting the passage c
a law providing that merchant
drop all prices per cent ever
week until they are normal" bu
very few are offering constructiv
suggestions.
THE letters from Delaware indi
cate" says Representative Caleb
Layton, that the people are nc
concerned so much with reducin
prices as with how to raise wage
to meet them"
Although high prices are genera
the attitude against them varies
degree. In the manufacturing Ger