East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1922-02-21
THE PLAGUE OF POLITICS
~HE democrats said Henry Cabot Lodge in address to
l the republican members of the Massachusetts egisa-
do, bo,a

tkuHE democrats" said Henry Cabot Lodge address
the republican members Of the Massachusetts legisla-
ure "by every arifice of delay and timewastng have
done their best to make this congress do-nohing body
This captrap and Senator Lodge of knowshat
clapap When the sxsevenh congress met in special
SION there according the congressional directory only
l31 democrats in the house 800 republicans and only thirty
seven democrats in the senate to ynine republicans The
pubcans are in an overwhelming majority in both branches of
congress with complete control over all committees and all
rules No matter Qw eager the democrats may be to obsruc
they incapable Of obstruction and the Lodge ab lacks
every element that makes for pausbity
Equally absurd is his assertion that mo congress in time Of
peace has ever shown such amount Of important effective
and remedial legislation has been enacted by the present
gess II Senator Lodge has hypn0tzed himself into believing
that this is true let him go out in the street and ask the first
man he meets what he thinks of congress- The reply will not be
attering to the vanity of the Massachusetts, statesman
may be doubted any other congress short space
Of time proved disappointing the country Fnancs bus
mess men, farmers laborng men-hardy anybody has kind
word for it. yhere has been another period American
history whe to The average government seemed disso
cated from the facts of everyday existence 50 blind so de-
ached stupid Sd indifferent to all the real problems of the
country 1t has become huge taxcoectng and taxexpend
ing machine whose cost is out of all relation to the benefits
ferred.
Senator Lodge is type of the ficehodng class His party
in power, and when his party power everything per-
ect When his party out of power everything from bad
to worse The voter supposed to have opinions under
standing of his in regard to quality of government but
swallow anything that the politicians of his party tell him.
There was a time when he credulous the
Lodges could desire but he rapidly losing his capacity
eve If the American people could have their way if they
knew how to translate their desires into action hey WON'T
probably retire the professional class of both
parties republicans and democrats alike and begin with
men who had not been poisoned by the atmosphere Wash
ngon They might not get much craftsmanship of the
change but they would rid themselves temporarily of the plague
of politics that preventing intelligent settlement of any
question that relates to their welfare
Government game between and the outs no LONG
appeals to the country Both parties dscredted because
neither willing to be honest with itself with its principles
or with its responsibilities There leadership in congress
or In the white house and there convincing appeal any
where public confidence In great democracy this high
~ dangerous state of affairs and day after day the gentlemen
IN washington are ploughg and narrowing the field for new
crop Of demagogy They will be painfully astonshed when it
springs up and will never suspect that they themselves prepared
the ground for the sowing but will be their work and it will
all have come about because of their folly and ncapaciy
When government affected the daily lives of people very lit
Tie panegyrc to such that delivered by Senator
Lodge was convincing to all eager partsan but eager parts
ans except those that hold office getting fewer and fewer
While the eXacons OF government greater greater and
with the exacons well the failures of government that
the country chiefly concerned Senator Lodge may not know
T but ne and his associates living in political world that
has ceased TO exist Tor everybody ese-New York World
~%$~~~~~s.~~~~~~~
Irwin Cobb seriously i'll in Boston, no doubt when he recov
ers he will be able to tell very humorous story of how feels
to be fed on Boston beans.
"-~.~.-.s....~--~
There many people who believe northwest wheat prices
would be better there could be competition among ex
porters.
~--~.-~-s---~~---
In regard to the Grant county road the question of good
grade is important than the width of the road
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