The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1922-09-22

straw OIL considerable SlSnlHcance,
showing increasing discomfort with
Republican leadership and policies, il
such words can be used in connection
with the present chaotic and head
less condition of the party.
The Boston Transcript, Republican
to the core, bitterly complains that
there is no leadership in the White
House. No, and furthermore, that is
what the people voted for in 1920, and
emphatically it is exactly what they
got. One of the serious complaints
against Woodrow Wilson was that he
was too much of a leader; the criti-
cSm even went so far as to denounce
him as Il tyrant who had usurped the
functions of Congress, which was, of
course. untrue. The fact Is that the
Constitution has in it something of
the spirit of the Roman law which in
time of great national crisis provided
for the choosing of a dictator; it
places in the Presidents hands pow
ers more absolute than those given to
any monarch in the world, powers so
great that they have never been de-
fined. In the World War both parties
united in giving him special powers
such as they deemed wise or exped
lent, which President Wilson used
with courage, force and quick decis-
ion. Like Aulus of the Seventy Fields,
he was made a dictator for great
emergency. But ,the people viewed
this great power with doubt and APP
prehension, and the partisan Republi-
cans who had Joined in voting it into
his hands went out into the country
and cried: We are losing our liber-
ties-Wilson is a cZar." The people
did not stop to ask if the new powers
were necessary to save the nation.
engaged in a great war, or if the
President was using these powers
wisely. but, jealous of our freedom,
they listened TO the partisans who for
party advantage declared him to be
an autocrat But when he came be-
fore the Republican Congress elected
in 1913 and asked Legislative recon-
Struction-a returning to pre-Wdr
pOwerS-that Congress refused to
comply. followed Penrose's advise to
let the people sweat and thus create
still greater dissatisfaction They are
still sweating.
% Ild lNIillS " 90 ''NANN'S' ''NN''N'
he was "a good scout" The absence
of back bone and an undershot jaw
were unimportant, for under the new
scheme of the Republicans, the White
House was to be governed and CON
troIled bv d sort of group OF elder
statesmen. including such as Lodge to
furnish the dignity, the Morgan group
to dig uD the dough and George Suth-
erland to write the Presidents speech
es And. by the way, Sutherland dld
this so well that on one occasion
when he was away and Harding had
to write his own address to deliver
before Congress (and which fell very
flat Bob La Toilette remarked that
1t sounds like he might have written
it himself
And thus it now stands-the Peo-
pie are getting what they voted for
a svndicated President Tom Reed Was
offered the Job in 1896, but his answer
was that if they elected him, Tom
Reed would be President, so they
crosse Mckinley instead. They al
ludes to the same power that chose
Harding, the power of high finance,
the power which groups itself about
the house of Morgan and Company.
They selected Charles +. Hughes to
serve as master mind" in their poll
teal Sanhedrin, or governing body Tor
the White House, but the Judge fell
into the Newberry bramble-bush, and,
like the chap in the nursery rhyme,
he scratched out both his eyes Few
will ever again look upon that gentle
man as fitted for the role; his capaci-
~ to blunder has been demonstrated
too often. But the syndicate still
rules. such as it is.
1t is feared that Secretary Mellon
is suffering from an aStigmatiSm of Il
very severe type. With one eye he can
see an empty Treasury. with not dol
lar available for soldiers bonus, but
with the other eye he sees untold mil
lions available to help Italy, Austria,
Germany and even Russia on to their
feet Perhaps it is barely possible that
he figures with his left hand on how
much of the millions loaned to Europe
would be used to buy the products OF
the dozens of corporations in which
he hasa large interest.
The Department of Commerce fig
ures out that the crop shortage in
Europe will cause the need over there
of almost 500. 000. 900 bushels of wheat.
most of which would naturally have to
come from the United States and Can
ada But how the Europeans will be
able to buy is another question. The
Republican Congress has. at the be
hest of the manufacturers. practically
shut our doors against importations
of manufactured goods: Europe has
little else to sell: if she can not sell
to us. how can she buy our wheat:
The sauce which they have cOncocted
for the manufa cturer's goose, does not
season the farmers gander. To make
the farmer think he is getting fail
deal they have put d tariff tax or
imported wheat. but as we eXpor
wheat instead of importing it. the
price of the article is not affected by
the tariff The men who fixed the rate
knew this. If they did, what objec
could there be except to try to MAKE
the farmer think he is getting a pro
= lection which he does not get. Blu
= the farmers don't buy green goods
any more: they read. think and vote