The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-08-10
A SERIOUS Joke

Possibly there never> has been Congress that has
drawn SC much ndicule from the public press than
the present one Newspapers all over the country have
been calling attention to the lack Of ndecison evident
on almost all questions Of public moment. Take, for
instance, such items the disposition of Muscle Shoals,
the Fordney tariff BILL the owner-SIering school BILL
the soldier bonus measure-al these vitality important
matters are still hanging fire and the end no man fore
sceth AS for the railroad strike that is something the
administration probably does not want to have any
thing do with for the simp reason that if it handled
politically it will be like playing with fire.
Candidly and honestly, there has been little if any
thing SO far accomplished by the present Congress to
inspire confidence to enthusiasm from national
viewpoint Our relations with the outside world have
not been conducive tic further Strengthening of mutual
ties of friendship and certainly cur domestic relations
have not been at all happy.
But the question naturally arises as 10 who or what is
to blame? The answer IS obvious-ourselves. The
people the creators Of Congress through the function
CT the ballot box and it. as yhoe bad choice is made
the people pay the price : are accustomed to dis
cuss and depore the prevalence of politics rather than
the adoption of business methods in municipal affairs
throughout the country but in national affairs business
be the last consideration and politics the first
The people growing tired and restless under the old
order of things some Of. these days there is going
10 be a change to a and better order.
While not agreeing with the Miami Herald
In its treatment of tie '' as it exists today there
is a world of truth in the s,r Dis clever handling of the
subject when it says
We Americans are getting good deal of fun out of
-, & !
dignfed Lawmakers has become the target of Jest and
rdicule say abuse from every point of the COM
pass, and the ayorte indoor and outdoor sport at the
present time thinking up something funny to say about
the members of the federal congress.
I'VE must confess that we find it difficult to suppress
smoker or two when we think about the way this
group of solons squirting and twisting about trying
to hold TO their jobs and look dignihed at the same time
We have never gotten to the place cur mental develop
meht where the sight of person slipping on a muddy
street and sitting down suddenly in the middle of a mud
puddle does not look funny us. And Congress in
just about as ridiculous position as that,
Perhaps the figure would be little more apropos if
VIC were to suggest that congress has grabbed lively
bear by the tail and cannot let 60 Honest to goodness
it is ghabIe sight Here is a tariff bill that was
put forward with great ecat and everything Of that SORT
and in which the Republicans took great PRIDE until
everybody began picking on it. They have gone too
ar.to dsclaim the parental relation to the brat but are
finding creature in which they can take nc pride No
body wants the poor distorted thing adopted The Re-
publican newspapers in general have spurned it, and yet
the senate is sweating these hot days in an effort
to do something about that will net cost President
Harding his Republican majority.
And there is the subsidy bill The President feels
very keeny the reluctant attitude Of everybody about this
thing and is seeking to use what power he can to get it
passed Congress frankly does want to pass it, but
what are you going do when the boss of the works
cracks the Whip And the bonus which is useless 10
pass without providing way to extract -four or FIVE
billion dollars in painless fashion from the DEAR over
taxed public.
1t is pitiful sight, this congress. wrgging around
under the burden of these Fankenen monsters of their
own creation. And yet it is funny. We cannot help
laughing little
while we are laughing, however it might be well
fer remember that Congress has been created by
us. If we have sent men to the national legislature who
not big enough to attack these problems in states
man-lke manner. really have no very hearty laugh
coming to U.s. They arr probably representative of