Evening star., 1921-09-27
Editorial Digest
Fighting the "Blocs." ("

Fighting the ''Blocs."
u President Hardings decided stand
against group legislation and congress
sional "blocs'' is strongly supported by
the press. The growing tendency which
the President points out is widely de-
nounced as menace" and papers of
both parties give enthusiastic encour-
agement to his announced purpose Of
resisting the bloc movement. A few,
however, question whether the drift
away from strict party lines on
economic issues is to be wholly con-
demned as tendency, although they
agree that the rule and ruin" tactics
Of the bloc must be checked.
THE development of a class group
in Congress powerful enough to intimi-
date legislators who have no sympathy
with its purpose" the Syracuse Herald
(independent) regards as "a disagreea-
BILE sign of the times" The movement
has gone altogether too far" the
Springfield Union (republican) thinks,
and mo more refreshing statement of
purpose has SO far issued from the
White House than that declaring the
opposition Of the administration to
group of class organization and action in
the affairs Of the government Moth
Ing was more needed or could promise
more beneficial results" and the Presi-
dent may be absolutely sure Of general
public support
The legislative bloc, as defined by the
San Antonio Express, independent
democratic) lis division set up for sell
%
the President, in common with millions
of his countrymen," regards it ''as SUBJ
versive of the civic ideals which the
founders of this republic translated into
it's form of government" If carried
further, the Express warns. the split
ting Of Senate and House into several
small, clashing groups will 5000 pre-
vent any constructive legislation what
soever,' and in it's opinion the move
ment "is positively dangerous and.
must not be tolerated"
An analysis of the way in which
the bloc operates is given by the
Philadelphia Bulletin Gndependent
THE bloc system of government
implies ultimately the construction
of an artificial majority in the legis-
lative body by deals and combina-
tions among the organized political
minorities there represented. At
legislation to which a normal ma
jority would never assent. At other
times the system works to prevent
legislation for which there is a real
national demand, but which some es-
sential constituent of the bloc op-
poses"
Such a system, the Bulletin holds,
is menace to Americas best politi-
cal traditions" and to that political
unity resulting from our party syss
TEN, by which common aims, ideas,
slogans and party ties" are given to
north, south, east and west, and to
every social element within the re-
public"
A group. the Charleston CIV. Va)
Mail independent republican, ex-
plains. "is necessarily minority, but
a minority which perhaps can make
noise far out of proportion to it's
Importance" and the tendency to
separate into groups, the paper be
lieves, lis dangerous to the welfare
of the republic" Therefore, "it is
about time that a halt was called in
matters of this kind" and the Mail
finds good reason to believe that the
American people are awake to the
fact"
The New York Herald Gndepend-
en) is confident that the President
will have the active assistance of the
country in his fight against organized
groups which try to get what they
want regardless of the public in
terest" by holding "a pistol at the
head OF the government"
The Louisville Post Gndependent),
on the other hand, raises some ques-
tions as to the extent of the fight
that the President promises. Will he
fight. for instance, "the manufactur-
ing group. bloc, if you will. that is
determined to drive the Fordney bill
through republican Congress" and
which will drive it through unless
the President fights and fights
harang propase to dssi feS ne
public at large" in the case of the
Small group or bloc that is seeking
special privilege" in coastwise ship
ping?
The attack on the bloc system. as
the Baltimore Sun Independent
democratic) sees it, grows out of the
fear that effective party leadership
will become impossible" should 1.-The
example set. by senators from the
farming states be followed by equal
ly intensive group organization of
senators representing other inter-
ests." However, politicians are dis
covering that economic interest is
slowly becoming a more powerful fac
tor in determining the course of legis-
lation than mere partyism or party
policy" the Sun continues, and de
plorable as factionalism is from the
national viewpoint, at present its
friends defend it as the only outlet
for the expression of new and pro-
gressive economic policies in Con-
gress." The bloc system, the Cincin-
natl Commercial Tribune (republican)
contends, is not inherently bad; '1ike
all others. it has it's uses if employed
| In good cause" and mot all that is
called bloc is to be so regarded in an
| invidious sense" since great public
interests may be served by a massins
Of forces constituting boost for
| widespread >beneficence."