The Washington herald., 1920-04-26
Few Republicans Heed Re.
quest for Views on !
Party Platform.
WASTE BASKETS BUSY
No Sense in Thing, Any.
how" Declares Member
From Pennsylvania.

Republican members Of Con-
gress seem much more concerned
in their reelection to the House
than in the prospective platform
Of the national Republican party.
Comparatively few are to be found
who answered the comprehensive
questionable sent out by the ad-
yisory. committee on policies and
platform of the Republican ma
tional committee about a month
ago.
The object of the QUESTIONABLE,
which was sent to all the mem
bers of the party in Congress. was
to obtain a full and thorough
going consensus of the tide of pub
lie sentiment throughout the coun-
try. 1t requested the views OF Con-
gressmen on the high cost OF liy-
ing. industrial relations and the
problems of capital and labor. lin
itation of Federal and State con-
troll and regulation. banking and
currency, and international trade
and credits.
Don't Seem to Care Much.
Inquiry among many members
OF the Pennsylvania delegation re-
vealed first that they didn't care q
great deal about the party plat
form and, second. that they felt
the QUESTIONABLE didn't mean
anything. anyway. They glanced at
the series of questions they were
asked to answer. and in the ma
jority of cases consigned the whole
business to the well known waste
paper basket.
Although the members of the
delegation are for the most part
reticent about expressing their
views on national issues except
when they are forced to by a vote,
thus was not generally the reason
given for not confiding in the Re-
publican National Committee. In
stead, they regarded the inquiry
very much as they do dozens of
other similar Inquiries which come
to them from day to day.
Says He Hasn't Time.
Yes, 1 received the question
nalre' one member said in a manner
typical of the answers given. "but
into the waste paper basket where
most things go. We don't have the
time to answer all the INQUIRIES
which continucdly stream into us"
There was one member of the
delegation, however, who took ex-
ceptiop to the whole thing. He
said he had received the Question
naire and had glanced over ii.
Then he went on in this manner.
There's no sense in the thing
anyway. This is not the time 10
frame the platform. Let them wait
until they get to the conyention
They Will know then what the peo-
pie want. From there they can
look around, and frame up the Kind
Oh platform that will win"
Two Main Issue..
The two issues which have caus-
ed the members of the delegation
more concern than all others are
prohloltion and the railroads. In
the trst case there has deveIoped
strong reaction against the Vol
stead act for the enforcement of the
Eighteenth amendment to the Com
stitution, most of the members of
the House state. Those who voted
for the Volstead act are in several
instances finding considerable on
position has developed against them
on those grounds.
In the second case. the members
who voted for the railroad bill do
not expect much support from or
ganized labor of all trades. The
opposition of organized labor to the
Cummins-Esch bill has not subsid-
ed since the measure went Anto ef-
feet. and will probably find express
sion in the next election.
But other issues have not caused
the members of Congress much ex-
citement. and probably the only
other one which will put them to
task is the position they take on
soldier relief legislation, which will
probably be introduced in another
week or two.
Public Ledger serviee.)