The Washington herald., 1921-08-23
Waiting the Upheayal.
F OUR Congress feels that it is not being justly
judged, that its virtues are not appreciated and

IF OUR Congress feels that il is not being justly
Judged that its virtues are not appreciated and
its shortcomings unduly magnfed, its
members can take comfort that their official habitat
is Washington, not London, and that they not
OF the house of commons. Over there is an ava
Ianche of attacks on the commons. In books, mag
azines, newspapers, pamphlets and all known ave-
nues OF publicity these criticisms take form, with
apparently few defenders
The days are bemoaned when OF sub
stance were in Parliament; when those without po-
litieal ambition sought place for the sake OF serv-
ice; when there was independence OF Judgment and
not mere trucking 1t is charged that from a
representative aristocracy, the commons has become
an autocracy. Lloyd George is said to have built
his machine newspapers, not on responsibility to
the voters. Nearly half score OF newspaper pro-
prietors are insanced whom he has made "sirs" and
lords"
Here there has been complaint OF too little
leadership. There the trouble to be too
much centralized in the one little Weshman. There
the attack is leveed legislative ncapacity, low
average ability with dominant mastery centered
in the one man whose will is but registered. The
history Of the commons is traced and the query is
What next" with prophecy that it will be at least
/ bloodless revolution.
Something OF the prevailing feeling is shown in
Sir Philip Gibbs Sunday letter. 1t is sort OF un-
purpose and interest. Whenever public opinion is
manufactured for people and comes from the out
side wherever this gets control there comes spirit
OF lassitude. 1t is hard job to break the line
and the condition is merely accepted until catastrophe
breaks the spell. There is much OF this evident in
Great Britain. The popular will is in control
that it is no longer popular will. There are so
many primary problems of apparent intricacy, that
no one has the courage to take the bull by the
sLo thot; ~ fc i,tsf frc bII
and that nine-tenths OF intricacy always comes
through failure OF thinking simply and straight.
Intricacy is a manufactured product.
As Gibbs has said, the great trouble in England
IS that control is in the hands OF old men not
always old in years. but old in their methods OF
thinking their habits of mind, their human con-
tact and viewpoint. This is age still ruled by
those of the age which is past, while the undercur-
rents of opinion are just undercurrents waiting re-
lease Wisdom would make this come gradually
and not as a torrent That it is there, those who
minglc with all classes as does Gibbs, knows, and
truth to tell, is not much different this side OF
the Atlantic.
The saving grace in this country is active
opposition party which in Great Britain has dis
appeared Every self-governing country is just what
its people make it. But essential to a healthy pub
lie opinion through which the popular will may be
expressed, is a strong, active, combative minority,
organized as a party. We hardly here get in
the state charged as to Great Britain and yet there
are evidences even here, OF undercurrents which
neither party seems to fully appreciate.