The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-23

incompetent which ever sat beneath the dome of the capitol Very few members
 of Congress, in private conservation. att
 tempt to deny the soft impeachment" The Congress was elected in the fall of
 1918 as reconstruction" Congress. It
 was confronted by a great work-an all
 most unparalleled opportunity It was 1 handicapped, however. by the fact that | it's every action would of necessity have a bearing on the. presidential election of
 1920 1t was regarded as essential by republican politicians to take charge of
 the situation. Every movement, m conse- quence, was shaped to fit definite po- l litical end.
 l In the beginning of the session Sena- | tor Penrose, the boss" of the republican affairs, shaped the destiny of Congress ] When he became too i'll longer to sit at
 the helm, he delegated all authority to
 his lieutenant, Senator Lodge. The Mas saehusetts erudte, in the upper house
 was the law unto himself. He controlled
 the lower house by republican steering committee consisting of four men. Representative Pou. ranking democrat of the House committee on rules mas vio- lently protested against the whip and gag rule of the steering committed, but be- cause the steering committee had received its orders, 1t could, even if it had been disposed, make no change in the order of procedure. The North Carolinian ex- pressed the real situation when he pro- , tested, some days ago. against the in- structons of the steering committee that the House must adopt a resolution ds claring peace between the United States and Germany, without amending it n any particular
 If you adopt this rue,' he said. mo amendment of any kind will be in order Once again we are back to the old order of things. What spectacel For two days the so-called peace humbug will be debated. Not an f can be dotted or a t crossed"
 plause by the republicans.
 T am not surprised" continued Mir Pou that the republican side of the aisle from which there was so much opposS tion to the war, should applaud the re- sumption of your playing the game of Germany For that Is what you are. do- ing. After all you are proposing to enter into a treaty If agreement with Germasy, but you must take the so-called peace resolution in it's entirety. no matter what your views may be
 This situation would be humiliating to the members of the House if they did not remember that all legislation is subject to the control of four members of the republican steering committee"
 Senator Lodge had instructed the steer ing committee, and it had done his bid ding
 Directly into the teeth of the repub- licans, MT. Pou hurled this: "A npre in- competent Congress never assembled un- der the dome of the capitol ydl have talked and talked and killed time and | done nothing save destroy the treaty of | peace and play politrs. With perfect | confidence we submit the work of the | President to the American people"
 While the playing of politics Is held | responsible for the failure of this Con- | gress, there is little question in the mind | of democrats but that another vitally | hatred on the part of the republicans | for the President. In view of that | hatred. whatever MT. Wilson did tae | republicans criticised and oposed and | everything that he failed to was by them | held to be the very thing he should h~se done
 Yesterday, Representative Mason of IT, lirois. one of the several republicans who | during the war was criticised for an all legged un-American course of procedure. | exclaimed in the midst of a formal ad | dress:
 And it was at this point that the Presi- dent got sickr'
 This sentiment encountered the approv- ing applause of the republican majority.
  Kentucky, democrat. cried out:
 "Ah gentlemen. has the great repub- lican party come to that? I do not believe | the people out in the country are that | way. Great God. think of itl That the of the republican par<y ! here on the floor are cheering and ap- plauding when one of their members says that the President of this nation has been stricken and is now on a sick bed. s | presume that had the same egentleman announced that the President was at the ,cint of death, which, thank God, is Not 1 rue the Record tomorrow would show cheers and prolonged applause on the re- publican side.'
 At any rate, whatever the reason may oe. there is little question but that the Congress has failed to take advantage of he opportunity to 'reconstruct'' the and in consequence has proved tself incompetent to function in face of ,olitical pressure.