The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-06-12

pleted a; record which perhaps stands
unrivalled i'm the annals Of Legislative
proceedings. 1t is =. a record of I'M
swerving loyalty TO privilege and al
most complete disregard of the major
interest of the nation and the welfare
of the people. T. .l"&. j:
The present congress has been de.
scribed as congress: of inaction. That
is not actually or substantially cor
rect. It has been congress Of rcac-
ton. It's efforts have always and con-
sistently been: in the direction of adj
vsncing the selfish schemes Of profit
GERS and. exploiters.: Itshas nulli6ed
every effort to have it intelligently
consider. important problems Of recon
struction, and not in single instance
has it given favorable consideration to
any bill not supported by powerful and.
always very selfish lobbies.
Among the measures that have been
approved. are the Cummins-Esch bill,
with its billions of subsidies for. the
railroads and guarantees against losses
due to vase, acknowledgement and
graft; and the, coal and oil lands leas-
ing bills, which sturn> over toTpmvate
interests valuable mineral lands, not
withstanding*that the national govern
mentSfs today seeking in foreign lands
for supplies of oil for its naval vessels.
These are the two most important bills
that have had legislative approval.
It has attempted to enact and has
given a great deal Of consideration to
bills proposing a sales tax, and the
dismemberment Of the fleet gathered
by the government during: the war,
thus striking deadly blow at our
merchant marine; bills. making it a
crime for workers to strike against in
tolerable conditions, defining .sedition,
in an effort to abridge the constitu.
tional guarantees of free: speech, press
and assemblage, and. ,pro&iding for a
huge military estabhshm ent du,in g time
Of peace and for CONSUMPTION when a
|. Irrational emergcncy'': >arosc, which
meant when workers were fighting for
the right to live as we'll as when the
nation might be threatened by foreign
: foes.
It has: camouflaged the soldiers SER
vice bonus, enacting a law. that admit.
tedlv will be, killed by the senate, but
which will enable congressman to, re-
turn home and mahe,a plea for soldier
votes. This is the flimsiest bit of sub
terfuge that has emanatcd from a body
where subtcrfuge has been reduced to-
a fine point.
/ A sop: is thrown to the farmers by
the. approval in the house of the So
called Volstead. :farmers' aid BILL, -
which logalizes farm organizations and
exempts them from. the provisions Of
the ANTITRUST. law. While a measure
permitting falaherst to organize has been
( in the Hsenstee and house for many
months, II was: during the closing days
Of the session*that Representative Vol
stead: rushed through a measure with
out consultation with the members Of
the committee to which it had been
referred, and now the members Will
feel justified in going to the farmers
and telling them what has been done
for them. 1t is unlikely that the farm
ers will be. fooled by this arrant .hypo-
crisy.. = ~ y:
Congress has :: refused: cons ideration
to hills designed TO correct. the: evils
Of prof teering, to regula tes the packers,
to prevent hoardings Of food; *to restore
credits, and stabilize finances. =: It has
refused to. make peace with Europe or
to assist in the rehabilitation of
stricken countries. It has, lin fact, with
held it's approval of any: and all meas
ures for which. there was widespread
public demand. $50.
No American has any right to be
proud of his representation in congress.
This does not mean that there. are not
loyal, forward-leoking men and patri-
otto members there. Such. there arc,
and quite few Of them, and it. is due
to their devoted; efforts that a record
even less defensible has not been made.
The only lesson that can be drawn
from a review of what has been DONE
in congress during the past eight
months is that there is urgent need of
ouse-cleaning.v Unless the people
change the personnel and send to Wash
ington representatives who will be re-
sponsive to, the needs and the desires
of the public, the orgy Of special-inter-
est serving and substituting will be re-
sumed next December, after election is
out Of the way and valuable national
interests will certainly be sacrificed,
/ just so long as the people: tolerate
such service as they have received just
t>sse1longSwill it be given:#. It is unforrtu-
nate that during th,esaapssss cnttsaafe, per: