The Idaho recorder., 1921-11-04

noSpital, ana sent Tor DOC Aicorn.
As the doctor was preparing to
patch Tommy together as we'll as
he might he said: Tommy, |
thought you said you could strip
naked, take a bobcat under each
arm, climb to the top of a shag-
bark hickory tree, and never get
scratch
So | kin, doc" Tommy whis-
pered family. so kin, but it's
hell gittin' down,
The present leadership of the
Senate is a leadership of assump-
ton, not a leadership of ability.
The Old Guard is old, but it isn't
a guard any more. The machine
is creaky, obsolete, inefficient.
The organization commands
neither respect nor loyalty. Fam
cy a bloc getting anywhere when
Nelson w. Aldrich was leader of
the Senate! 1t wouldn't have last
ed half an hour. In the pres
situation, however, the organiza-
tion is helpless. II is tolerated in
unimportant matters, but on any
especial occasion it is easily push
ed aside and left to deplore these
demonstrations of independence
while the Independents shove
through their measures. The Lead
ers say that the bloc system
breaks down party lines and dis
rupts effective leadership. Break
ing party lines, to the Old Guard
IS the capital political crime.
Their principle is, My party, right
or wrong.
The men who form and run the
blocs, take the ground that the in
terests of their states, constitu-
encies and industries are para
mount to party policies, and that
their ends justify their means.
IL rs likely that most of them
would follow the leaders in any
broad basic party principle; but
what the leaders do not under
stand is that, in the conception of
the blocs, not every measure that
comes before the Senate has n
broad party base, is fundamen-
tai proposition. The leaders labor
under this obsession. They try To
maintain that everything that is
legislative is partisan, and must
be, and that their word must be
taken as to that point and deter
mination. The bloc members re-
fuse this view, laugh at il, and 20
ahead to attain their special ends
regardless of the walls of the
leaders, and of their humiliation.
President Harding, according to
one of the ablest of his interpret
ers, "deprecates the formation in
Congress Of blocs for the protec-
tlon OF special interests and the
fuftherance of Legislative de-
mands Of groups and classes. The
President regards the system as
lnimical to the interest Of the
public at large"
Naturally, as the head of his
party the President may regard
the bloc system rs inimical, but IL
rs not likely that fact win have
any great effect on the hlocs. They
have tested their power, know
how to get their results. and in
these matters there is the obyio5.
fetort that when il comes 10 spec-
ial Interests the Old Guard in rs
time looked after a few interests
that were very special, and that
the bloc system, IL may bc. Is in
teung with ether efforts in that
direction. The difference between
loyalty TO The party organization
IN the Senate, and disloyalty. may
conceivably depend on Just what
& the term special interests" inn
plies. In any event, and without
discussing the merits or dement's
OF the bloc system AS cOntrasted
with and opposed TO the Old
Guard system, ii may be added
that even If the bloc system is
inimical to any interest whatso-
ever, PUBLIC or private, or favor
able thereto, il will be long
time before any monument, mem
orial or other tribute of popular
esteem will be erected TO the Old
Guard and its system and the in
terests concerned and conserved
by It'd very long time.
From all of which il appears tina,
'e tobaggan Is about TO be applied
nee more in American politics. Only
ight years before the last presiden.
al election the republican party was
wiped out of existence in
arrying two states only, Utah and
ermont. Four years ago the adverse
ote was also pronounced and last
ear the same party carried the con.
~ by seven million plurality over
le democrats. Blythe points out the
rift toward a democratic house OF
representatives next year and a com.
lete turn-about in the next presi-
en,ial election.