The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-18
PRESS ON NATIONAL POLITICS

congress IS on q VdCdtlOH, put uHlOTtu- nately the people are not. The members are busily going about explaining why it was or why it wasn't, all, of course, for the pur pose of making themselves solid with their constituents Such campaigns of explana- tion would be unnecessary if the senators and representatives had left behind them record to speak for them. Indeed, the rec ord does speak, but not for them. It cries aloud against them. Two years of legisla- tive debate and scarcely a major measure to show for it. Even such measures as are important, such as the tariff, have been im- properly formulated. On the other hand, are the towering wrecks of what could have become overshadowing legislative achieve ments. It is very doubtful whether any politician can make headway in enlightened communities on such showing.
 The St. Louis Post-Dspatch uses for it's text the speech of Representative Mondell, retiring house leader, and says: "The dis honesty of the situation is revealed, some what naively, to be sure, in the retiring veterans regret that congressman do not vote on the floor as they talk in the cloak rooms. The accusation cannot be lodged. Here is an insider who tells us that con- gressmen today do not vote according to principle but to hold their jobs. No harsher indictment could be framed. Its full signi- ficance is ominous. We may rebel against the arrogance and activities of the special interests and their importunate spokesmen. We may voice, contempt for the sordid, in- solvent character of public men who comply with any demand in order to remain in of- flee. But the crux of the tragedy is to be found in the laws thus dishonestly enacted against the judgment and conscience of our lawmakers Such enactments have the form of laws, but, in truth, they are not laws In very truth they are bills of sale. They are records of transactions between con. gressmen and special interests, in which the former deliver certain goods, misnamed laws, in exchange for political support" The Post-Dispatch goes on to say that it is "man- ifestly preposterous that this country can be successfully governed by morally in- solvent congress" Strong words these, but the public disappointment will find no fault with their vehemence.
 That the public welfare is not the fore
 
 and senate is also the opinion of the Brook lyn Eagle, which thus expresses itself: "Under our system of government as at present constituted those who direct legis- lation and administration seem to spend too much of their time shaping their political fortunes instead of devoting themselves to the business of government The unwieldy Republican majority found itself unable to function normally, and what was actually accomplished by the last congress was due to the positive force of the agricul- tural bloc and few other cohesive fac tions. And before the results of this con- gress' painful labors were apparent the country had repudated it. Mean time the Democrats seem to be quite as hope lessly at sea as the Republicans. They are without positive issues except those growing out of the Republican inaction and nega- tion." The Eagle speaks hopefully and ad- miringly of Senator Borah because "he off, fers the political mind something besides buncombe and pap to feed upon." Run- combe, however, depends upon the point of view. The remarkable feature of editorial comment is that it is so uniformly condem- natory of both sides regardless of partisan bias.
 The Chicago Tribune views the self-styled radical, Brookhart of Iowa, as in reality a reactionary: "It is significant that in a day of modern warfare Senator Brookhart is an exponent of rifle practice. It is an index to his habit and thought and tempera- ment. It is all of the days of Andrew Jackson. MT. Brookhart is not radical in the sense of being an innovator. He is not a progressive. He is an old fogy." The Louisville Courier-Journal ironically treats the statement of American Economist that the Republican defeat in November was due to the fact, not that the tariff schedule is too high, but that it is too low and con- cludes: "Now that it has been revealed 10 us why the sixty-seventh congress was re- buked it seems strange that there ever was any mystery about it-strange that we could not all see, without being let in on the secret by American Economist, that the people of the United States, not satisfied with the four or five billion dollars of taxes fixed on them by the Fordney-Mc Cumber tariff law, kicked out the sixty-seventh con- gress for not making the tariff still higher"
 The Memphis Commercial Appeal does no. relish MT. MondelPs statement that the real reason behind the support of Ford's offer for Muscle Shoals was the desire to develop large industrial district, and ex- claims: "And if the development of the Muscle Shoals project should establish a great industrial center in that section would that be crime? Or would MT. Mondell be willing to deprive the farmers of the nation of large financial benefit in order