Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-14
THE PRESIDENT AND PEPPER
TALK OF PARTY DISCIPLINE
Beginning Of a Concerted Move TO Dis.
courage the Formation Of Bipartisan
Blocs In Congress

Saturday night.
The President. talking 10 the League Of
Republican state Clubs said: II believe
in the collective judgment of the party con-
vention and believe In the dictum of the
party through which tho development OF
America and its political institutions has
come
The Senator. addressing the Young I:e-
publtcans OF Lancaster County. said: 1--WE
are Republicans. We have Il highly organ
lied and effective party systc'n. Through
the working Of that system I am sent to
the Senate, whether by appointment or
election. l am sent because am politically
like minded with you and the oth"r members
Of the party. The other Republican Sen
ators are sent for the same reason. We are
net merely individuals: we must be loyal
to our Observation-Disclosures we believe
that it Is through our organization that we
can best serve our country. 1t Is difficult
for me to understand the complex of the
man who uses the name and organization
OF the party to get himself voted into office
and then regards himself rs under no "bgn-
tion to- vote with his colleagues for the
adoption OF party measures.
The afilinton of Republicans III the
House and in the Senate with democrats
to carry out a proGrum OF legislation for
the relief Of the farmers is doubtless re-
sponsible for these two speeches. \ con
ccctci effort is likely to ln made to prevent
the breaking up OF the party system Of
government threatened by the formation Of
the farmers bloc in Congress.
That bloc is not like other b,ocs that
have appeared from time to time IN the
past. They have seldom cut across party
lines. They have made their fight within
the party caucuses and they have frequently
been as successful as the farmers bloc has
recently been. But they did not threaten
party control of the Government in Wash.
ington. They may have shifted control
from one wing of the party to another. but
they have not gone much farther than that.
The party system developed very early in
the history of the United States, and it has
not been necessary for any Administration
to engineer coalitions between different
parties in Congress in order 70 carry out
its policies. The leaders Of the party in
power got together. decided on a policy and
carried II out.
When the President was Of one party
and Congress was controlled BY the op-
position no partisan legislation has been
passed, and the President has never sought
to detach from the majority a group big
enough to give control 10 his party. No
a,tcmpt OF this kind has been made be-
cause party loyalty has been too strong TO
permit the Congressman 10 betrny their own
E al.
vamtages for themselves.
Tie interests Of the farmer, do NOT cut
across party lines any NOR" sharply III the
present time than other interests have in
the past. But the representatives Of the
farmer constituencies seem now I" be un-
willing to trust their own party to do what
they seek. They demand something now and
they have set out to get II by combining
with men who are opposed 70 them On other
great Issues. The practice j. d"n"rallzing
to party discipline aud 1t threatens the
continuance OF the party system.
II has not been enough to tell the Re-
publican members Of the farmers bloc that
II they will b" patient tn" Republican Party
will do everything possible to insure the
prosperity VI tHc AHiAii''o' ''NS '''N"N
what they want when they wanted it and
they have set out to get it regardless Of
the consequences.
Both President Harding and Senator
Pcppcr seem TO be convinced that IL" time
has not yet come TO abandon the party
system and 10 foster factions in Congress
that cut across party lines Or even that
arise within the parties Themselves. When
a party Is put in power the country expects
it to do the governing. and th" party
leaders who will be held responsible for their
stewardship are naturally interested to keep
in order the machine through which they
must work.
The advantages or Disadvantages If the
purty system In the abstract are aside from
the question. It would be foolish to talk
about the way the French manage, for their
whole system Is fundamentally different
from ours. They have parties, but no party
has Il majority in Parliament. An issue
arises on which Iaajorty agrees. That
| majority selects n Premier, who forms II
coalition Cabinet from the different hnr-
monous blocs, carries out the policy and
| then gives way TO another Premier, Who be-
| comes the spokesman for another group on
| another issue. And 50 1t goes, with Pre-
| mlcrs following one another in rapid sue
ccs-iun
This ia the bloc system in its logical
| development. It works we'll in a country
! with Ii Government managed by n Ministry
! responsible to l'arliamcnt, while it would
| break down In I'll" United States, where
| the executive officers are elected or an.
| pointed for fixed term and cannot be
ousted by hostile congressional majurity.
| 4 mobilization Of II works very well In
| Great Britain, where parliamentary Gov
ernlncnt prevails, Lloyd G"nrgr has been
kept in power for lorg time BY coalition
of parties none Of which had II minority.
lie has been skillful enough to keep his
coalition together, but his task has been
much more difficult than it would have been
II he had had back Of him majority o,