The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-10-13
CONGRESS
CONTROL
IS AIM
Need Only to Elect Fifty More
to House to Assure Labor
Majority, He Says

lNASI 80
Focusing attention on Congress,
IN a special drive for the election
of forward-looking candidates,
Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor and
chairman Of the federation's cam
paign committee, acting with the
committee, today began distribu-
tion Of 100000 leaflets among
al organized workers, calling the
workers into action to defeat candi-
dates deemed unfriendly to labor
All wage earners are advised to
stake off their coats" for candi-
dates regarded as friendly to
tabor and the masses Of the peo-
PIE" It is set forth that two
years ago 40 such candidates
were elected and that the election
of $50 such candidates in this
campaign would give the nom
partisan progressive forces COM
plete working control Of Congress.
Congress For People.
America needs a Congress for
the people, ''the pronouncement
reads" There is in your district,
q candidate who deserves your &C.
tive support irrespective Of party
affiliation. There is q candidate
who Is for the people and against
the great reactionary interests.
Take off your coat for that
candidate. See that reaction is de.
feated.
In 1929 the people of the United
States followed the lead Of Labor
and elected 10 such members of
the House Of Representatives. Be
cause Of that great achievement the
present Congress has enacted no
law hostile to the peoples interests.
This Congress stopped the flood of
immigration. It blocked the sales
tax gouge. It blocked the Mellon
burdensome tax plan. 1t exposed
the Veterans Bureau graft. 1t
forced Daugherty out. It drove Fall
into retirement. 1t gave the peo-
pie the facts about the oil scandals.
Control In Sight.
That's what q forward looking
Congress means to workers and the
people generally. In this election It
Is possible to elect enough such
men so that the interests of the peo-
pie will dominate the next Congress.
The people can easily enough elect
$50 faithful members Of Congress
who will stand true in defense Of
freedom and the rights of the peo-
pie. Such a majority would bring
to America real era Of progresa
and achievement. Such an era
would drive the political wolves out
OF public life. 1t would change the
whole Government into a machine
Tor the service Of the people.
THE reactionary interests are do
ing everything they can to belittIe
Congress. They do not like Con-
gress-and they say they do not
like it-because Congress is directly
elected by the people. And since
through the direct election of Sen.
ators and the direcr primaries, Con.
gress has come more and more to
be truly representative Of the people,
General Dawes and other reaction
aries have openly attacked Congress,
direct primaries and the progressive
group in Congress, which passed so
many progressive measures in the
last session.
'"The reactionaries like institutions
over which the people have no
control. They would. like it if the
Supreme Court could be given still
more power, and II the Presidents
power also could be increased--both
at the expense OF the power Of Con-
4. 4
can, Through those, farthest from
popular control.
Congress is to be subservient to
the chief executive. 1t is to be
snatched out of the Constitution by
political legerdermain SO that there
Will be only two effective branches
OF government-the executive and
judicial.
Therefore the edict has gone
forth from reactionary headquarters
that all members of the Senate and
House of the United States Con
gress elected in November by either
OF the big parties must be depend
able-that Is, they must pledge
themselves to do the bidding Of the
chief executive. whoever he may be,
no matter how offensive such q
course would be to the electorate or
injurious to our republic.
IF the present Chief Executive,
Coolidge had had a dependable"
Congress, there would have been
no Teapot Dome Investigation
There would have been no adjusted
compensation for our boys who
offered the supreme sacrifice in
the great war il we had had a
dependable" Congress-.
Awakening Needed.
The American pepole should
awaken to the plot against the
tried and true members Of the
present Congress. 1t is time the
people of our great nation-the
greatest on earth-should cast
aside their apathy and understand
before election that depend.
able" Congress is a Congress OF
rubber stamps.
The Constitution provides for
three branches of Government
the legislative, executive and Iudi.
cial. Should the political intrigiiers
succeed in fooling the people so
that they will vote for members
OF Congress who viii blindly follow
the dictates Of the Chief Executive
then there will be only two effec.