Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-11-09
A REBUKE AND DEMAND

Tuesdays nationwide upheayal,
which has brought the margin OF Re.
publican control in both branches OF
Congress virtually to the vanishing
point. requires an explanation not
restricted to local lines on personal
issues and distinctly leso general
than the overworked term unrest
a poEtical reversal touching every
quarter of the country and bearlnh
identically everywhere upon those
who wear the label of certain party
is not a product of chance, nor may
it be explained by the suppositlon
that the people have struck out bind
ly in a fit of confused restlessness.
! The truth of the matter is that an
overwhelming majority of the Amer
lean people voted two years ago to
intrust a number of important public
matters to the care Of the Republican
Marty: the Republican party promised
TO act promptly and effectively; in
practical sense, it has not acted at
all. and the nation is tremendously
yexed and disguised. The Republican
administration and the Republican
Congress, lacking unity and common
honesty, have tempOrized and camou-
flaged-and accomplished nothing
Tuesdays almost unprecedented re-
action is the nations significant COM
ment upon the record Of lncompet-
zee and inaction.
For the Democratic party the re-
turns must be viewed less as an eX-
preston of direct approval than as
the opening of the doors to a great
opportunity. That is, they must so
be viewed if the Democrats are not
to allow complacent self-satisfaction
to prove their undoing. BY their YER
dict at the polls, the American voters
have sharply rebuked the Republl-
cans for unrelieved failure; but they
have also presented demand for
something better, something definite
and substantially better. Stung IN
to a desperate burst of the energy,
the Republican party will not tall 10
attempt some pretense of satisfying
that demand. With a probably mole
COMPACT organization in Congress,
the controlling party may be able to
give some color to this pretenSe; tha;
It will do more than this, there is
nothing either in its viewpoint or
it's capacity to indicate. Certainty
the Republican party, as now consti'
tuted and directed, is totally UMPIRE
pared to give the country the sound
program the times and the people
demand
Senator Borah said few days aga
that the nations search for leader
ship of the desired sort will carry 1t
into the camp of third party. II
this should prove to be true. 1t VIII
be only because of the Democratic
party's refusal to accept one OF the
most friendly and promising invita-
tions ever prNented by the people.
The opportunity now is offered to
win the 1924 campaign within the
next twelve. or eighteen months. Its
hattie spirit revived by one OF tn,
most heartening victories IN our po-
litical history, the Democratic party
is most advantageously placed for
the fullest use of the opportunity.
And this oppCrtunity-largely intruS'
ed to the party's representation in
Congresses one, be 1t understood,
not for obstruction, but for construc>
ton.
The perplexed American public has
turned to the Democrats for govern
mental rescue; and-let there be II,
mistake-there is in the Democratic
party all the necessary vision, sympa-
/ thy and leadership, if these resour-
ceS can be effectively modified The
campaign of 1924 already is more
than half won.-Times Dispatch.