Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-17
BROADCAST OF DEBATES
OF CONGRESS UNLIKELY
Lonoworth Believes 1t Would UncOrk
Enough ''Eloquence" to Block Trans
action OF Nations Business.

selves to think were hanging upon
every word.
"As a matter cf fact, it would be
physically impossible for many people
to listen, for most sessions of Congress
take place in the daytime, and the
average citizen is too busy to use his
radio except in the evening.
'At present these long speeches are
not delivered on the floor of the House
or Senate. Instead, each Congress
man has the privilege of putting his
undelivered speech into the Record,
which then is printed and mailed out
to his political supporters. That may
cost something for postage and print
ing. but not nearly as much as what
it would cost Congress in time if it
had to sit and listen to all those
speeches"
Ashamed of Triviality
Not from what Mr.. Longworth said,
but rather from what he left unsaid,
I got the impression that Congress
men were opposed to broadcasting
chiefly because they were ashamed of
the trivial matters which would there
by reach the ears of the public. So
asked the new Speaker why it was
that the public lacked confidence in
the House and Senate.
THE last Congress" Mr.. Longworth
admitted did not have the confidence
of the public-and no one will admit
that quicker than chiefly because
it was frequently at odds with the
Executive. During ouch conflicts
popular opinion always sides with the
President. He can seize opportuni-
ties and move quickly. He catches the
popular imagination. The legislative
branch must of necessity move slowly.
Frequently it can only act by com
promising. Compromises please no.
body, and displease everybody.
1.-THE last Congress was also unpopu.
lar because 1t introduced for the first
time the bloc system of government
which, in my opinion, is dangerous to
this country, and which was killed by
the vote of the people in the last
election
why" asked, has it become the
habit of business men to blame Con.
gress for everything that goes wrong
with the Nation?'
Partly because of the reasons just
| mentioned, partly because the average
| business man knows less about the
government of the country than the
average schoolboy. He just isn't in
terested. The farmer knows far more
than the business man. On the whole
the farmer is pretty well posted
Stumped Champ Clark.
ITO back up that statement, let me
| tell you about a Cincinnati business
| mems luncheon I once addressed dur
| ing Wilson's administration. 1 asked
| the guests to tell me the name Of the
Attorney General at that time. There
were about 80 men there, and not one
of them knew that the Attorney Gen
eral was Gregory.
But the sequel to that story tool
place in the House one day, wher
Champ Clark, who was Speaker, die
the very unusual thing of comins
down from the chair to make a speech
on the floor in defense of the Wilson
administration. After he had extoIlet
the great work of the Attorney Gen
eral in breaking up the trusts and pro
tecting the consumer, I interrupted tt
say:
eff the distinguished Speaker will
pardon an interruption, I should like
| to say that we have been much in
terested In hearing what the gentle
man has said, and would like TO ash