Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-09
The Progressive" Bloc


WY HATEvER may be said Of it's policies
M and it's motives, the new Republican
Progressive" block is unmistakab bly,
disquieting to the Old Guard Spokesman for
the Administration have lost time in reg
istering opposition to the bloc's proposal of a
Constitutional amendment looking to the
choice of the Presi 5ent and the Vice President
by direct vote of the people, instead of by an
electoral college, and to the adjustment of
the long interim between the election and the
assembling of a new Congress. The White
House considers the established procedure
whereby Congress does not meet for more
than a year after it's election, unless called
into extraordinary session.. as lone of the
wisest steps of the nations founders, in that
it allows passions to cool" AS for the cleo
toral college, though repeatedly attacked upon
divers grounds of criticism or discomfort, it
has held its own through many changeful
era.
The present proposals, however, have reach
ed what the watchtower of Normally regards
as really threatening stage; they have bee
reported favorably by the Senate committee
on agriculture. Just why the committee on
agriculture should concern itself with Con-
stitutional amendments of this character we
need not now pause to ascertain. 1t is to
be noted, however, that majority OF the
ipd wit
tural bloc, which in turn furnishes much of
the sinew of the Progressive" bloc. Evil
IDENTIFY it is to agrarian unrest that the in
surgents will direct large part of their ap-
peal. The plan to abolish the electoral col
lege and to have the terms of Senators and
Representatives begin on the first Monday
in January following the biennial election
in November is but one item in their extern
sive program.
They talk much, if rather vaguely, about
more elastic rural credits and better facili-
ties for agricultural marketing. They de-
clare for IAN amendment to the tax laws
so that the rich will have to carry their fair
portion to the costs of Governments pro-
nouncement easily made as political propa-
ganda, but not without difficulties when it's
authors are called upon for ways and means.
They declare also for reduction of transpor-
tation rates through amendment of the Esch-
Cummins act This again is an easily-adopt-
b1t fba
judicious will withhold Endorsement until
Senator La Toilette and his associates have
explained how they are to maintain service
and expansion while amputating revenues.
Certainly if they can devise a plan whereby
we shall get something for nothing and con-
tinue economically sound they will deserve
the unstinted plaudits Of an astonshed world.
Senator La Follette's leadership of the
Progressive" bloc carries the mind back
over twelve eventful years. In the Congress
sional elections of 1910 the Republican Ad-
ministration was emphattcally rebuked, and
forward thinking forces greatly encouraged.
Then as now the country was moved against
pO1tlcal party Lnat LOOK lCS cue wholly
from the past and dedicated its efforts chief
ly to privilege. Then profiteering
tariff had been thrust upon the consuming
rank and file, and the common veal in gen.
era1 subordinated to group interests. Then
as now, too, the Hon Robert Marion La Fol-
lette, seeing the drift and temper of the
times set shrewdly about to-turn them to
his political profit.
It was at his home in Washington, on a
January day in 1911, that company of in
surgent Senators and Representatives fore
gathered and established the National Pro-
gressive Republican League, of which the
avowed purpose was 1.-The promotion of pop
uIar government and progressive legisla-
ton" The well-remembered sequel need not
be recounted, except to point out that when
Mr.. La Toilette found his ambition for the