The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-05
THE HYsTERIA is REPUBLICAN

1t was a remarkable statement recently
made by Senator George Wharton Pepper of
Pennsylvania, to the effect that. in pursuing
the senate inquiries into official 'betrayals of
the public trust in Washington, "the Demo
Gratis have aimed at US 1.-THE Republicansl and
hit America" To less hard-pressed OBJ
server it would seem that the Democrats
eral of them off their limbs, while the gov
eminent at Washington still survives. There
appears TO be welldefined Republican eff
fort TO discredit the results of the inquiries
terra is all on the other side. The Republi-
cans, seeing their defences totterins and their
party stalwarts falling, are very much
alarmed. They may be excused for thinking
a swarm of ants may well think the whole
world has come to an end when a COW steps
on their galleried hummock. For the ants
the world has come to an end 49,
There is no hysteria. but the beckoning
call of high public duty animating those who
courageously, resolutely, painstakingly and
reentlessly delve into the shameful record
of those in responsible position who have for
gotten their public trust and used their au-
thority for private ends. The Democrats.
with Senator Thomas J. Walsh at their head.
are not blamable for the fact that official
corruption has existed in the Republican ad-
ministration. Doubtless their task has been
eminently distas:eful to them. But they
realize that, unless the canker is removed. it
will grow worse and worse. until the whole
nation is delivered over to its spoilers. So,
like surgeons setting themselves to tedious
but life-saving operation, they have applied
themselves to the dissection of the diseased
tissues of partisan administration. in order
that the very life of their patient-govern-
ment by and for the people-may be saved
Senator Pepper further declares that both
political parties have become so discredited
that IAN irresponsible and dangerous third
party has actually suggested itself to the
extremists as a practical possibility" The
senator, were he not hysterical, would say
that his own party has become so discredited
that large block of it has broken off into
a third party. There are no Democrats in
it, so the confidence of Democrats in their
party must not have been shaken. Besides,
the evidences of discomfort in the Republican
ranks are of no recent origin. They reach
far back into the last decade. and are repre-
scented by the strong infusion of Republicans
in name only who have been repeatedly
elected from certain sections of this country,
formerly Republican, as a strong and I'M
mistakable protest against Republican mis-
rule.
1t may have been because he was speaking
in PARKWAY Republican Maine that Mr. Pep
per was moved to ezclaim Il am here
today to affirm my belief that the Demo
cratic party has recently forfeited whatever
claim to public confidence it may have pos
sessed.' Had the senator substituted the
word Republican for Democratic" the
whole nation would have agreed 1t is only
partisan logic that could conceive, and only
partisan sympathy that could seriously re-
ceive, such a preposterous assertion. The
Democrats have sought the truth with regard
to Republican official conduct, and, as a re-
suit, one after another the highest Republi-
can officials were not able TO stand the ex-
posture of the truth. and were forced to retire
in confusion. 1t is believed that the end is
not yet. The end will not come until the last
suspicious circumstance is probed and the
last guilty covert is prodded. For that single
service the Democratic leaders have earned
the commendation and support of the people
of America. The very speciousness of the
arguments of the nations Peppers, which
they blindy resort to in their extremity, is
proof that the light of publicity has begun to
wilt and destroy the fungi OF official corrup-
ton.