Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-22
SOMETHING in THE AIR
TOLD OF BY HASKIN
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

now and then plays that old rec
ord, 81 Wonder What the Folks
Back Home are Thinking"
Party Managers Nervous
Party managers are nervous n
suffer from insomnia or talk in their
sleep. Despite all their public state
ments it is apparent that they really
| are at a loss to interpret the results
of the recent elections. They know
what happened, but they can no.
progressives, drys, vets, conserva-
tives, laborites. farmerites-all of
them r more than a bit puzzled
by that intangible but portentous
something in the air." and every
one Of them is anxious to be the
first to get a line on what Is about
to happen and beat the others to it.
That is the test of leadership-to
be able to discern the reform pro-
posal or the issue to which the pub
lie mind, under conditions such as
obtain at present, will react most
favorably, and to adopt it for ones
self or ones party or group. The
easiest way of accomplishing this,
If one does not possess the pre-
science of absolute political genius,
is to put out "feelers," which means
to propose something new in a
legislative way and then wait 20 see
whether the plain people cry for
! it or dare you to try it.
The late Colonel Roosevelt was a
East master of this when he was in
his prime. He had a way of getting
a new idea before the people that
was not equaled by any of his con-
temporaries, n he was also about
two jumps ahead of everybody else
in deciding whether 1t met with
sufficient popular approval to justi-
fly his making a fight for it. This
does not mean that Roosevelt was
solely a weather-vane statesman. 1t
is evidence of his political sagacity.
He could lead a forlorn hope with
a courage that some characterized
as folly, but he preferred not to
waste his time and energy in max
ing a fight that vas foredoomed to
failure.
FeeIers Being Put Out Now
Numerous feelers are being put
out now by members of congress
| and by men and groups outside
official life who aspire to political
leadership. Several of them bear
directly on elections. For example,
there are four or five proposals in
connection with the presidency.
| One Is to establish a presidential
primary system that would do away
with nominations by national con
ventions. Another would effect the
abolition of the electoral college
and provide for the direct election
of the president. Another would
| change the presidential term OF
office from four to six years and
-~Ox4lA Ahax DrASfdnnf anuld mi
i be reelected, and still another would
advance the date of the inaugura-
! ton of the president from March
to early In January.
Closely connected with this las
proposal Is n to change the be-
ginning of the session of a newly
! elected congress to q date early in
January following the election. Al
now provided a congress that Is
chosen in November does not begin
/ funetioning until thirteen months
later unless it is called in special
session in the interim between
Der, and the argument is advanced
that the effect Of this is to make
congress less responsive to the pop
ular will. 1t Is also commended thai
when the people nave voted for 9
change by o~verturning the majority
in a sitting congress there should
be the least possible delay In giving
the people what they have voted
for.
On the other hand, those who
! oppose this proposal insist that II
might result in the stampeding OF
a congress into hasty or carelessly
worked put legislation and that ex-
perience has demonstrated the wis.
dom of the present arrangement
Men of this school of thought are
essentially conservative and be.
lieve that before setting about Civ.
ing the people what they want care
should be taken to ascertain JUS
what it Is that the people are de-
handing. Some of them even sug-
gest that the people do not Away:
know what they want and some
times want something that Is moi
good for them.
Other feelers that are being put
forth to see II they strike the popu.
lar fancy include proposals tc
change the Transportation Act rad.
icaliy, to enact q law regulating the
coal industry. to amend the taxa.
ton laws so as to reduce the take;
on large incomes. both OF individ.
uals and of corporations. to restrici
! the ~1sE2anoe Of tax-exAmpt ssGHTj.