Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-23
CONGRESS AWAKENING

|
Presidency with the organization of
! supporters acquired by a candidate
who reaches it by campaign. He
! did not make up the Congress with
its discordant elements; he did not
pick out this team of wild horses,
unmanageable by any hand of man.
He was suddenly called to take up
the duties of chief executive I'M
supported by the organization of
the party of which he is a member.
,, He had, thus single handed, to face
| chaotic conditions in Congress and
the traditional ambition of the
! legislative branch to run things I'M
| curbed by the will of the executive.
| A seemingly hopeless task. His
political enemies chortled.
Now for results: the legislation
he advocated disregarded in large
measure; some of the aids which he
| inherited in the department func-
tions of the government came I'M
der suspicion; his political enemies
openly declared they would defeat
any aspirations he might have to
| succeed himself as President.
While they huckstered for votes,
trimmed sails to every breeze, filled
the Congressional Record with ac-
cusations and silly promises Presi-
dent Coolidge devoted himself to the
work at hand. When he has said
| anything he has spoken frankly and
to the point. Gradually there came
to the public mind some compre-
hension of this man quietly but in
sistently doing their work while
others did the talking. Confidence
grew in his judgment and his
courage. They visualized him as
ono struggling to stop the leaks in
the bikes against q food of cxtrava-
gance.
Then came the pension and the
bonus test with the appeal in
separable from such measures. He
| would not dare to veto. said the
politicians, judging him by their
own standards. There is where
they made their mistake: he did
veto and he gave his reasons so
plainly the public understands.
Stubbornly and resentfully - the
| truth stung them-Congress passed
over his veto and the political OPP
| ponents shouted: "Ho! This man is
no leader. His own party. doesn't
, support him." Then they began to
hear from home. They are yet
hearing and unless their auditory
nerves become wholly atrophied they
will continue to hear.
A woman is not half as afraid of
| q mouse as is a Congressman of
dissenting roars from his con-
stituents at home. The courage Of
| Calvin Coolidge has not been vast
| cd. Indications of this may be seen
/ In the committee of conference hav-
| ing the tax bill under consideration.
They fell to with pruning hooks and
Topped off excrescences which they
had encouraged to grow with the
flowing waters Of eloquence and
bunkun.. Not that they restored it
to the form in which 1t was con-
structed under the supervision Of
intelligence and information. not
that. But with might and main they
tried to shape 1t so 1t might receive
the Presidents signature.
| Did they fear the President's>yeto
which impended? They did. They
do not want to return to their
constituencies with the welts Of an
other veto on their backs. The
Presidents courage has not been
wasted. He is a leader and the
sooner Congress and the political
organizers recognize the fact the
better. 1t would have profited the
country had they recognised it
sooner. but It would be easy to expect
too much of the present Congress.