Evening star., 1921-09-11
BY THOMAS Il. MARSHALL,
Former Vice President Of the
United States.

Wv YHEN President Harding.
Ah as candidate. used the
Wv word "normalcy" for
normality, it was gen.
orally thought that he had coined
the word in order to attract public
attention, which Is SO desirable in
. campaign. 1t served its purpose
well a. q catchword. Others than
the candidate talked of our return
to normalcy. So
Six months Of the new adminis-
tration have come and gone. The
campaign catchword which car
ried with 1t an intimation Of what
the Legislative program Of the ad-
ministration would be is heard only.
infrequently. Now and then : 1t
sounds In our ears as an echo of
the campaign. as a reminder Of
tho implied relief that was to come.
Abnormality. a condition that had
been created by the stress and me-
cessities Of war time. was to dis
appear from the political and legis-
.atlve lie OF the nation. We were
OIL was to be poured upon the
angry sea Of public life, and. q
great calm was to encompass the
snip of state. Fair skies and un-
ruined waters were to come to pass
and abide with Us.
S!x months have come and gone
ano up to this good hour things are
rot as the average right-minded
American would have them.
+ X + +
I assume that 1t is quite natural
In a land where the people rule and
where their will is expressed
through the success of political
parties that the party in power
should be opposed by the repre-
sentatives Of the party out of
power. I am myself somewhat a
partisan. I do not know that it
IL to my special credit to have al
ways been with the democratic
party whether it happened to be
right or wrong, but doubt whether
As good government can be given
to the people by every man going
his own way as is given to them
by party solidarity and a yielding
Of individual opinions to the COM
bined wisdom Of party leaders. The
point where a man is justified in
breaking with his party is when
his conscience convinces him that
party purposes are corrupt or dis
ttnctly inimical to the best inter-
ests Of the whole people. To refuse
to break with his party under
those circumstances would be to
stultify. mans self.
For six months now the repub-
lican party has been declaring that
when 1t once agrees upon its leg
tslation all will be we'll with the
republic. For q like period the
declaring that the proposed legis-
lation was unwise and would lead
to still further abnormality. The
republicans have charged the
democrats with being blameworthy
for present conditions. Denying
the charge. democrats have taunt-
ed their accusers by asking them
why they did not do something to
bring about amelioration. And SO
dore. Meanwhile the spirit of dis
content and dissatisfaction among
the people Is Just as pronounced
as ever,
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I hope that my conduct and my
opinion will enable me to retain
my membership in the democratic
party. am desirous of another
tussle with our opponents next
year over control of the legislative
program of the country. But
though I should like to have an
other doctor to treat the patient
observe such startling signs Of
fever in the body polite that
should like il I could to help the
present doctor. The democratic
party Is important to me, but it
pales into insignificance in COM
parison with the peace, prosperity
and contentment of my country.
It has seemed to me with ever
increasing certainty that we are
looking to the wrong sources for
a return to normal conditions.
Laws are not automatic. They
will not minister to a mind dis
eased- The war period, while It
lifted US to the very heights Of
service and sacrifice, also deprived
US of walking in the ways of
everyday life. We saw visions
and we dreamed dreams. Four
millions of men were taken from
the producing and put into the
consuming classes. Every one be-
came entitled to as much as any
one else. If not to a little bit more.
+ + + X
Men shake their heads over the
thirty-three billions Of indemnity
that the Germans must pay as .
result Of their losing. They for
get that before the German peo-
pie have paid this indemnity we
ourselves will have expended a
greater sum as a result OF the
war. The manufacturer Is loaths
to reduce the price of his. product.
The retailer lowers his prices only
when he is compelled to. The
American working man resents q
cut in his wages and refuses to