The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-03-06

is something which must be decided, if at all. by the
people themselves.
Just why the proposal to eliminate the lame-duck SEES
sion Of congress failed is not wholly clear. There seems
little doubt as to the attitude Of the people regarding
it, but it got lost in the melee which marked the close
Of the session.
The same thing happened to the bill to revise the copy
right rules. Under modern conditions, writer's and others
are having difficulty in obtaining the full fruits Of their
labors. They were denied legitimate protection by failure
Of congress to get around to 1t.
The world court question died Of inertia. Only in u
linos. it seems. can elections be conducted on the basis
Of such academic questions, important though they may
be to the peace and welfare Of the nation.
Railroad consolidation has been knocking around the
halls of congress for some time now. It IS an important
issue, although hardly a pressing one. Certainly there IS
no great clamor from the people for q law making rail-
road mergers easier. II the sentiment of North Dakotans
as revealed in connection with the proposed Great North
ern-Northern Pacific consolidation is a true indication,
there is almost none at all.
Naval construction measures were left wallowing in the
trough of the congressional seas because there were more
pressing matters. Congress could not do everything at
once and it preferred to do nothing about building battle
ships and cruisers until the will of the people has be-
come more apparent.
The various branches Of the national defense were not
wholly in agreement as to what should be done-and the
easiest COlUR u OO u Otlu NOLkICSoS II ~
anything, must know that the nations military establish
ments are gradually slipping into the same condition in
which they were found at the beginning of the World
war. But it Is a great deal more important to get re-
elected than to make sure the nation IS protected. As
a result, we got just what we had a right to expect.
In most cases, the congress waits for public opinion to
make itself felt. Then, before it moves, it insists that
this public opinion should be overwhelming. The theory
is that it Is a good deal better to be guilty Of sins
of omission than of commission.
Probably the biggest blot on the session just closed was
its failure to make even a start toward q permanent solu-
ton of the unemployment problem. The things which
but what it can do should be done. Business is pulling
itself out of the mire and another six months should see
us well on our way to complete economic recovery. If
this happy eventualty occurs, congress will be able to-
take no credit.
It is a simple and easy thing to damn congress extern
sively and since few congressman care to undertake a
defense of the body as q whole, the process provokes few
replies. But to condemn merely for the same Of doing
something is futile and pointless. Congress b truly a
cross-section of the American public and when the people
themselves are not sure as to what they want they should
not blame congress.
On the whole the session did fairly well. It could net
please everyone and, at the very least. we may be sure
that each congressman 80 conducted himself that he
people 60 to the polls again.
Sometimes we wonder II the average congressman
doesn't regard that as the really important thing after
all. And sometimes we wonder il that attitude isn't
somewhat justified.