Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-10-23
Placing the Blame

Placing the Blame
Herbert Hoover says that there dissatisfaction with tn
way the government has been conducted since the wa
which will put the republican party in power at the comm
ii election
r Reconstruction problems that follow pecuarl
the province of the legislative branch The executive
suggest but congress must enact Realizing this the pres
dent two years asked for congress which would carr
the work of former congresses His request refuses
and congress- republican in both branches, elected.
: During the last two years, have had government
divided in parsa republican that refused to
legislation recommended by democratic president Instead
of solving reconstruction problems congress devoted tse
assang and attempting to dscredt the president and
playing politics MIA
The less congress accomplished it figured, the
greater the dissatisfaction with the administration
the people, who overlooking the power of congress blame
the president for the discomfort created thus making
republican victory at the coming election Everything was
systematicly planned toward this end
Instead of constructive legislation congress marked time
ntermnabe debates No overlooked to increase
and every appeal to prejudice possible made to
create resentment among the hyphenate electorate The
peace of the world deliberately hedup for partisan
advantage.
In matter of accomplishment the present congress has
been the worst failure in history Except nsaney par
tisan attacks upon President Wilson, and posmorems to
dscredit the victory of troops oversees did nothing
Yet during this period although the president has been in i'll
health good part of the time executive ever functoned
better
When Roosevelt settled the coal strike during his admin
straton the action hailed of the greatest acts of
great president yet Wilson has settled nnumerabe strikes
of far greater in the last two yearsbut Wilson
receives no credit.
Among the constructive accomplishments of Wilson's
administration the income tax law making wealth pay
it's share of taxation removal of the tariff from politics by
establishing nonpartisan commission for scientific re-
visions of PanAmercanism and abolition of
dollar diplomacy development of Alaska and extension of
home rule in the Philippines passage of the Seamans act
ending serfdom the creation of Federal Trade Com
mission enactment of child labor legislation creation of al
secretary OF labor In the cabnet passage OF 8hour laws
and the Clayton amendment taking labor out of the category
of commodities development of parcels post and rural free
delivery provision of federal aid for good roads, the rural
credits bill to aid farmers extension of reclamation work and
enlargement of agricultural assistance and cooperation
creation of federal employment bureaus, farm loan banks
postal savings banks and federal systema
for economic freedom and the establishment of social
justice
The country has passed through tremendous financial
strain without pancdue the federal bank and
other safeguards provided under the presidents admintra
previous years and has through them quickly
from the despite attempts block the executive at
step The country whole was never more prosper
ous prosperity uniformly distributed.
The great army has been demobzed without friction but
the reconstruction program including provision for service
and repeal of excessive taxes presented by the
president remains unenaced for the return of the
aroads Any failure of the past two years in all fairness
must be laid to congress- and not to the president
In similar period in American history has there been
such great constructive accomplishment in Wilson's ad
concluding with the winning of the and the
actual creation of world wide league of nations to prevent
yar-yet if Hoover is right the people, ungrateful short
and unthnkng will forget ALL Listening to the
anor of sefseekers they will load the sabotage and par
san neffcency of congress upon the executive and his
,ary instead of placing it where it belongs, thus rewardng
he berayers of American ideals with of political
cottage
Hoover may be right. But we have more faith in the
Intelligence of the people than Hoover evidently has. t.
Reed Deserts Cox W