The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-20
Congress Still Shouting
Its Unfitness To Gouern
Without Adequate Leadership 1t Persists In
Muddling Important Public Questions


scientific, but he does not deliver the
k. o. Our colleague of the sporting
page, whom we invited to assist at our
laboratory experiments and to whom we
submitted the results for his judgment,
rendered this opinion Clever, but too
slow in his foot-work." We confess to
being ignorant Of the noble art in which
he is so profient, but the meaning Of
his comment does not escape us. Mr..
Coolidge is too deliberate to be great
strategist. His understanding of politi-
cal psychology is limited. He misses
his opportunity. He feints with his left
hand, but his right falls just short of
the mark. ~ :
Mr.. Coolidge inherited an .unruly
team. 1t is known to every horseman
that a horse either fears his master or
his master fears his mount. Mr.. Cool
idge's inherited team was docile at the
beginning. meanwhile pondering in the
way of wise equines whether it should
be submissive or risk being rowelled
into obedience. While Mr.. C0olidge's
team concluded that there was nothing
to be feared, Mr.. Coolidge patted Dob
bin and pulled a piece of sugar out of
his pocked for the delectation of Robin
and told them what reliable animals
they were and how he was sure they
would pull their load up the hill with
out a flick Of the lash; and ever since
they have jibbed and SHE'D and hung
back in the traces and done nothing to
earn their keep. 1t was John Adams in
London in 1850, who wrote to Digges,
THE Commons are yawning" and it
was an Englishman of later day who
wrote: THE Commons, faithful to their
system. remained in wise and master
ly Inactivity" Commons and Congress,
they all seem to suffer from the same
inherited vice.
The inactivity of our commons. how
ever, while mastery, is not wise; one
wishes it were. When it is possessed by
a spasm of inactivity it does something
foolish as witness the passage of the
immigration bill, against which the
japanese government protests SO Wig
0rously. Here again we have an ex-
hibition of that indiscipline, the refusal
to acknowledge the leadership of the
White House. which we have seen so
often during the present session.
In this matter Mr.. Coolidge acted
with prudence and moderation. No
blame attaches to him. Mr.. Hughes
made the views of the administration
clearly known; the House knew the
danger Of persisting in an unwise
course; and the House treated Mr..
Hughes, Mr.. Coolidge's representative,
with as little consideration as Mr.. Cool
idge himself. We do not discuss the
thorny question Of japanese immigra-
ton; we are simply asking whether it
was necessary to risk those grave con-
sequences" to which the Japanese am
bassador so pointedly referred in his
note.
No one need fear there is danger of
war. Senator johnson need not hurry
back to California to take command of
the home guard--although after the
way his beloved state has treated him
she deserves to be left to her fate. Bos-
ton will not have to ask for a battle
ship, as she did during the Spanish war,
and Senator Lodges library at Nahant,
containing his treasured copy of CLASH
fled Quotations for ALI Occa sions, will
not go up in flames. The japanese will
keep the peace, but they will not for
get or forgive; they are not forgiving
people. A sensitive people, their pride
has been wounded; and nation. like
an individual; will remember that blow
long after every other wrong has been
forgiven.
Deliberately and wantonly the House
OF Representatives put an affront upon
Japan, and at the same time showed in
what little respect it held the admins
tration. If Mr.. Hanihara's figures are
correct, and he gives them on the au-
thority of an American government Of
ficial publication, Japanese immigra-
ton, including students, merchants,
etc, averages 578 year, and its re-
duction to even lower limits was not op-
posed by Japan; instead of being con-
siderate the House preferred to invite
reprisals. Reprisals there certainly will
be. Commercial relations are involved.
The whole structure of the political and
commercial relations Of the Far Fast is
menaced.
A discredited Congress still further