Evening star., 1922-11-21
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

us, who have imagined we under
stood progressivism. as Roosevelt in
terpreted 1t. are prone to ask OF the
prophets of radical innovations Of to-
day: rs it a Biddle?'
The most radical innovation Of the
century was accomplished under the
democratic administration in the
= adoption of prohibition. Was that d
I3iddle? Does that make all demo
Gratis progressives? Now come stanch
! adherents to the Harding admins
tration with the assurance that IT is
! the intention Of President Harding to
! ! out t-Herod Herod" by advocating
legislation so very progressive that
| 1t will take the breath away from
! the progressive bloc. But surely that
| must be Biddle. since some Of the
progressives, under cloak of a party
name. which they assume to have
inherited. as Elisha did the cloak of
Elijah, are undertaking to overturn
| some of our century old principles
and become as radical as soviet Rus
| cia.
| X * r K %
| As the great hegira of "progres-
! sives' cross the brook. VINO Still stand
guard and test the Shibboleth? Not
every one that boasts vaEaries is en-
| titled to the sacred name of pro-
gressive.
| The American Constitution makes
| this government the most conserva
tive in the world-now that kings
have gone out-for in the European
governments a sudden turn of a vote
of lack of confidence in the premier
ana his cabinet puts a new cabinet
and new policies in effect over night.
while in America an adverse vote of
Congress has no effect on the ad-
ministrative personnel pr policies, and
even a tremendous overturn OF the
popular vote has to wait from No
vember to March before change
can take place. Yet, while the delay
may seem unreasonable to the rad
icals. when they become impatient.
the really big issues of great ma
months of consideration as they
might by impulsive action too near
the heat of a campaign contest. We
must remember the tremendous mo-
never overstrain the brakes nor jerk
the machinery. lest the jar be dis,
astrous TO both the mechanism ana
the passengers. The Leviathan ls
not navigated with jerks: neither
should be the greatest ship of state
that ever foated through the cen
turtles. 1t is not reactionary 10 De
seriously deliberate in great ISSUES
Let legislation be in view of its ei-
feet upon future centuries
One of the earliest ac.s cf the pres
ent Congress should be to order new
census. to take the place of the 1921
census as a basis for the next election
of members of Congress. Never be-
fore has census become obsolete so
quickly as has the last decenniai
census. owing to the unprecedented
shifting of population throughout the
country. There is no call for an in
crease in the total number of repre-
sentatives but there is real value in
so adjusting the apportionment that
they will be equitably selected 70
represent approximately each IN.
same number of constituents. Nnat
the country needs least of all Is an
increase of the number of representa-
tiyes 1t would be much more de-
sirable to increase the ratio OF con-
stituents which would enhance the
honor of the service and lure bigger
men to accept the responsibility. IL
might not he delicate thing to sue-
eest that the greater honor and re-
sponsihility and power of the senate
of ninety-siX members. on the wno!e'
brings personnel of weight ana IN
Huenca which would not be enhanced
the same number as that OF the
House 1t would cost less TO make
the House truly representative
through new census than 1t Will 10
increase its membership as proposed
hy twenty-five additional districts.
Quality, not numbers, is the essential
need
A correspondent suggests sub
stitute for the Safety Week slogan,
Don't Get Hurt" He proposes:
Hurt No One" The substitute is less
selfish than the adopted slogan, but
will il reach the driver who, today,
scorches around the corners ano
smashes into the public traffic with
utter disregard of the safetS OF ON
erso He is hardened TO the risks ne
takes with the lives of others, but
nossibly he has forgot the risk 70
himself Hence: Don't Get Hurt
may give even the most reckless a
new idea as to his smartness Now II
cor,c genius will combine the TWO
slogans into one, in not more thah
four words we may eaten MN COM
ing or going. As a matter OF ldctr
the second slogan is what the coih-
mittee really means.
X X
The pIan of the Detroit mayor OF
taking all violators of traffic rules to
,he morgues and hospitals and forcing
them. to view their work Is the pes'
educator yet devised.