Evening star., 1926-10-18
END Of BL0CS SEEN
. IF DEMOCRATS WIN
Victory Would Mean Return
to Party Government,
Says Gerry.

PROVIDENCE, r. l., October 49,
United States Senator Peter G.. Gerry
of Rhode Island, chairman Of the
Democratic senatorial committe, yes
terday declared that a Democratic
majority in the Senate would mean
return to party government and
the doing away with the bloc system
which now exists.
Our American Government was
founded on a two-party SYSTEM" he
continued, 1.-The majority to lay down
its policies and to be responsible for
them, the minority to criticize and
so bring before the public the weak
ness Of the majority's program.
Under this system the public could
determine which program it favord,
and at the election change the Gov
ernment if it saw fit, with the knowl-
edge of what that change would mean
IN legislation. With the bloc system,
consisting Of three or more groups,
there is no responsibility and no
sureness of any policy being carried
out.
Results. Not Talk, His Plea.
Legislative results and not talk is
what should be aimed at, and this
can only be done by putting the
control Of our Government into the
hands Of a united party. and the Dem
ocratic party is :he united party.
Consider for a moment what will
happen if the control of Congress
should be put in the hands of the
divided Republican party. 1t would
be virtually impossible for the people
to make their desires on legislation
kfoo
would be controlled by the stand-pat
Republicans and others by the So
called progressive Republicans.
''These two factions would have to
make a series Of bargains, and the
natural result would be that the bust
ness of Congress would be conducted
not in accordance with the principles
Of legislative efficiency but Of the
worst kind of partisan expediency.
Congress will become as helpless as
any of those European legislatures
that are bedeviled by the existence
Of many blocs.
1.-The founding fathers never con-
templated such a state Of chaos as
now exists in the Republican party.
They believe the development of our
political history would come through
the clash between a party of progress
and party Of conservatism.
Assails G. o. p. Division.
"The party Of progress which they
foreSaW exists in the Democratic
party of today. but where is the party
Of conservatism? The Republicans
claim title, but no one knows whether
If returned to power their policies
would be determined by Senator Cur
tis of Kansas, who regards President
Coolidge as an ideal leader, or by
Senator Brookhart Of Iowa, who does
not
IF returned to power the Repub-
licans cannot possibly organize the
Congress in a way to carry out the
ideals of efficient American govern
ment. The Republicans, for instance,
promise early tax reduction, because
they will have found that the Demo
cratic campaign for it has won
ground with the people. But Repub-
lican leaders cannot make good on
their promises because they will not
have a united congressional delega
tion behind them.
1.-THE Democratic party, on the other
hand, is fully warranted in promising
the passage of n bill for tax reduc-
tion, should it control Congress, be-
cause our party has proven that it
is capable of organized, effective ac
tion on important issues and can be
relied upon to put through con-
strutive measures. as it did under
Woodrow Wilson,