Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-28
SECRETARY WEEKS IDEAS

/ is by no means surprising 70
J find that the speech of Secre.
tary of War Weeks befor: a col
icge audience on the subject Of
"The Decline in American Govern
ynent" woke a good deal of criticism
in congress. For one thing the
picture he drew of the lack OF
courage and conviction in the pres
ent congress could hardly fail to
make them angry. Then his denun-
citation of SO called progressive"
policies and the agricultural bloc
also hit many of them below the
belt. 1t is therefore not strange to
find one Of the leading progressive
senator's at Washington demanding
of President Harding that he fire
his secretary Of wa out of the cab
met. He has not done it yet. and
he will probably not do It, tor
President Harding's opinion of con-
sress is probably as low as that OF
his cabinet officer, though he is
too discreet to say so. Our poll
teal correspondence from the ma
.tional capital presents this view OF
the Weeks speech:
The gloom speech of Secretary
of War Weeks at Western Reserve
university has caused much un-
easiness and criticism in republican
circles here. Some republicans are
wondering whether or not the ad-
ministration has abandoned the at
tempt and the hope of carrying the
next congress, in view of recent
primary results, on the theory that
il would be better for the old guard
in its efforts to control the next
republican nomination for president
if the democrats gain the house this
fall than it would if there was a
large representation of s%o-called
progressives and republican radi-
calls in the next congress-.
There is much in Secretary
Weeks Western Reserve speech
with which democrats will agree.
They will agree that he should have
Welded to the temptation to entitle
his speech The Decline OF the
American Government" because
there has been a decided decline
since the election Of a republican
congress in 1918, with a big drop
on March q, 1921, and the admins
tration still adhering to the motto
Going Down"
They will agree with him that
"the legislative branch Of our ma
tional government probably never
has been at lower ebb than it is
TODAY" In stating this obvious fact
Secretary Weeks echoes the edl-
torial opinion of practically every
great republican newspaper in the
country and the unanimous view
of the independent and democratic
press.
The speech so correctly voices
the opposition of President Hard
ing to the direct primary. to the
agricultural bloc and to all mani
festations Of progressivism. that
the general opinion here is it had
the approval Of Mr.. Harding before
its delivery.
Only in one particular does II
express a contrary view to that OF
the president. Mr.. Weeks says,
Government is so intricate that II
should be administered by trained
men," President Harding some
tim ago declared Government is
a very simple thing after ALL The
president, however, ventured this
oninion prior to his sad experiences
with government as a complex.
Secretary Weeks fears for the
future if the citizens continue tc
"interfere" in the details of legis'
lation and seriously doubts that
the people are equipped to pass IN
inteliigently on matters OF legisla'
ton and government. In other
words, if the people do not endorse
Newberryism; if they do not en-
dorse Daughertyism; if they do not
endorse Nat Goldsteinism; if they
do not endorse reactionism in the
White House and in congress anc
the administrators alliance with
special privilege; if they do MOI
endorse favoritism shown to the
profiteering and other predatory
interests in the matter of tax re
duction! if they do not endorse the
efforts Of a reactionary congress:
to pass a tariff bill which will pro
tect the profiteers and predatory
interests by enabling them to in