The Washington times., 1922-12-17
STR0NG LEADER
SOUGHT IN VAIN
BY REPUBLICANS
Going Forward HeIpIessly To-
ward Extra Session When
Liberals Will Be IN Control
"BIe sTIcK- IS BURIED
Organization Is Harassed BY
BIocs and Big Business
And PIunges Into Gloom
BY JAMES r. NOURSE.
UuiversaI Service staff Correspondent

Dy janice Ns 4NOoAsoA1s
Universal Service staff Correspondent.
Republican leadership In Con-
gress Is at q low ebb. 1t would
Be quite safe, perhaps, to say that
It has decended to the lowest
point ever reached in the party's
history.
From q boasted record Of legis-
lative achievement, the party or
SANITATION has fallen to q condi-
tion Of masterful do-nothingness.
SIMPLY DRIFTING.
Chagrined by the defeat in the
November election, the G. o. p. Is
simply drifting. 1t. goes it knows
not whittier. It marks time wait.
ing to sec what will happen. It
looks In vain for the strong hand
that might lead 1t along q wise
course. which would be more re-
sponsive to the country's needs,
more in keeping with all traditions
Of rarty responsibility. 1t is unable
to lift itself by pulling on its own
bootstraps.
The, situation and the lack OF
leadership are bad enough IN the
Rouse. IN tne bcIiatC s"S >~>s~-r
tions are infinitely worse.
WORRIED ON ALL SIDES.
In both houses what is left Of the
uarty organization finds itself
harassed upon the one hand by farm
hlocs and by tig and little biocs
of other sorts, while. on the other
hand. there looms the shadow OF
Big Business, with it's not-to-oe-de.
MED demands for 'safe and sane
legislation to combat what organ'
lied capital looks upon as q tnor
oughly radical program put FORWARD
by the blocs.
Being thus surrounded. the re-
publican organization appears un-
able to offer even feeble resst'
ance. All its powers OF initiauve'
OF constructive thinking. seem 10
have been swallowed up In the AT.
mosphere of gloom that hangs over
Senate and House. =.
The result Is that Congress
surely and helplessly going rorwau
10 the necessity OF an extra session
soor after the fourth day OF March.
which will bring the group Of So
called radicals" into activity long
befove their appointed time. Then
the real troubles Of the G. o. r.
organization will begin.
OID.TIMERS BEWILDERED.
Old.timers in the Republican
party. schooled in the stern rule
~ the Organization" have come
IN washington to find out what
The trouble was. They have gone
away. shaking their heads In sad
ness. stunned by the course which
the party is following. They have
been unable to understand why
Congress Is not functioning as II
used to do, why leaders are not
arising and pointing the way TO
the adoption of successful doctrines.
II IL q situation foreign to all
their notions OF party discipline.
Some of these old-timers have
asked: "why doesn't the President
rrab the Big Stick and WELD 1t
over the heads Of a. few Of these
Senators and Representatives and
make them do somethingf
"BIG STICK" DAYS GONE.
The simple answer IL that the
Big Stick u not here. 1t has been
laid in it's grave. The day Of the
Big stick has passed. President
Harding II powerless to WELD II
even II he wanted to, for the reason
that Congress now has the temerity
10 believe 1t owes the President
nothing, that no has nothing In the
way Of favors or patronage to be.
stow, and that any assertion OF lead.
eruhip BY the President would be
equivalent to an invasion OF Con-
rressional precedent.