The Washington times., 1922-11-10

The intentions of the Democrats ]
,an see clearly enough after a talk
with Mr.. Cordell Hull, chairman OF
The Democratic National Committee.
Mr.. Hull holds firmly to the convic'
ion that the chief reason for the Re
publican collapse of last Tuesday was
what he calls the "inaction" OF the
Republican Administration. i am
inclined to believe--after consider
able travelling through many parts OF
the country-that- Mr.. Hulfs analy-
sis is in the absolutely right direc'
ion, but is not entirely complete.
The period Of "inaction" did not
begin with Mr.. Harding. 1t began
with the address which Mr.. Wood
row Wilson sent to Congress in the
fall of 1918 when he said that the
war and it's problmes were over
and that now the country should
be left to the private initiative and
endeavor Of the self-reliant business
man. That was the real start Of
the era Of public governmental in
action" Mr.. Harding really only
came along and called it ''normalcy"
and continued It. On Tuesday last
came home and pulled the sheet up
over it's quiet head and died. The
next era is one OF heated and VIC.
lent energy and combat.
Mr.. Hull and his fellow Democrats
look forward to it with confidence.
They observe with JOY that enor-
nous problems are stalking about
the country unsolved. They observe.
for instance, that the railroads to-
day are in fact losing terrific sums
of money through the fight which
so many of them are persistif1g in
making against the shopmen
unions and they observe that earn
est and drastic. measures will have
to be adopted some time soon in
order to restore our American rail
road transportation system to ade.
uuacy of service and to economy
Of operation and to cheapness OF
freight rates and passenger fares.
They observe also and with equal
Joy that equally drastic measures
will soon have. to be taken in order
to restore certain large sections OF
our agricultural population to an
ability to pay its debts and to escape
from crushing anxiety and misery.
On this point the Republican party
really has done much. In particular
1t has maintained and forwarded the
aggressive positive beneficent policy
Of Eugene Meyer. jr., Of the United
States War Finance Corporation, in
his stupendous rescuing loans to
distressed banks in agricultural dis
tricts and to distressed agricultural
marketing societies. II has done
much; but 1t has not done enough.
A long road OF difficult agricultural
legislation stretches ahead.
The Democrats see q prodigious
railroad problem and a prodigious
farm problem-to say nothing OF
labor problem increasingly angry
and menacing; and they rejoice not
because these problems exist. but
because they feel SURF that they can
solve them and they feel equally
sure that the divisions and factions
In the Republican party will prevent
a Republican solution. The Demo
Gratis believe the Republicans to be
rendered powerless by their internal
struggles and they believe them.
selves to be capable OF now repeat
ing In new circumstances the long
series OF great positive fundamental
reforms which they achieved in the
first early active years Of Woodrow
Wilson's presidency.
They believe that both In the
Senate and In the House they will
have a united party with a leader
ship respected and followed by
loyal rank and file. They will un.
doubtedly 60 through some practice
battles in which they will bring
forward their IDEAS about railroad
legislation and farm legislation and
labor legislation. They hope to see
their own ideas unified and clear.
They hope to see the Republican
ideas split and confused. Their
strategy Is to present the country
with the spectacle Of definite Demo.
cratic propositions contrasted with
Republican factional disputes,
clamors. and suicides.
The Republican strategy, on the
other hand, will soon make It's
choice between two ideas. The
proof as to which idea has been
ttVoch VIII pc tuduc huOWD 10 tht
country whether or not there
is a special session OF the next
Congress Immediately after tho
next fourth of March. In the
present Congress between now and
March 4 there will be no time for
any really complete handling of
the questions brought up by the
railroad situation, the farm sltua.
ton or the labor situation.
II the President calls a special
session of the new Congress i'm.
mediately after March 4 to work
through the summer, Il will mean
that the Republican party feels strong
enough and united enough to at.
tempt a solution Of our woes through
legislation. II he does not call such
a session, Il viii mean that the Re-
publican party does not feel strong
enough Of united enough for any
such effort and teat the Administra.
ton has decided that the best that
can be done viii be IN try IN solve