The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-06-17
''The Fury of Party Spirit
Bu Ut. Williams, Jr.

Congress settles down to of the liveleSt mid
"A summer sessions in its history, the Members of both
Houses will do well to heed George Washingtons warning
the Farewell Address against the fury OF party spirit
To the Father Country it clear that parsanshp
existed different forms under all systems of government
He did hope that it could be eliminated entirely from
the American system He concerned with keeping par
tsanship in bounds, making it useful to worthy
end lest the baneful effect of the spirit Of party lead at
length "to a formal and permanent despOtlsm."
One of the why the American system OF
has weahered stormy periods because with few
crisis to be guided by Washngtons advice which has
served than ito moderate the fury of extreme
partsanship
This the American people did when the attempt made
stampede them into the League of Nations Their Senators
Congress-the militant minority that that fght-for
got the time being their partisan affiliations and united
Americans to keep this country out OF he evil thing with
the holy name"
Again decade later when the attempt made drag
the Nation League Court the brave group OF Sena
tors who that fight included both Republicans and
Democrats
And now as the fight begins in the Senate to maintain the
independence of the Judicial Branch of the Government the
Democratic Senators who leading that fight going
against their party leaders in putting their country
above everything else.
Another opportunity to moderate the fury of party spirit"
is offered whenever either House of Congress exercises
through committee "the investigating power
Unless there Senators and Representatives Congress
belonging both political parties who capable of putting
the search for truth above political advantage the results Of
the investigation never command the confidence of the people
highly praised the investigating of the Congress
which he defined its Informing function" He thought
there times when he informing function of Congress
would be preferred to its legislative function.
TT the proper duty he said "of representative body
look diligently into every affair Of and to talk
much about what it sees.
TT the eyes and the voice. and to embOdy the
wisdom and the will of its constituents"
And unless Congress has and Of acquan
ing itself of the acts and the disposition Of the
agents of the Government the country helpless to learn
how it is being served"
To get the truth the people, unaduteraed by partisan
misrepresentation, the author of Congressional Gov
eminent believed make constitutional and beneficial
of the informing function of the Congress.
When Congress is exercising the investigating power it is
dlschargng judicial function though the rules OF pro-
cedure differ respects from those binding court
1t therefore, idle to expect that partisan debate
fundamental question the independence of the Judi
cary partisan investigation of matters involving cit
zen "inalenable rights will be supported by Public Sent-
would be expect that Public Sentiment would
dorse the verdict Of that named by the fury
of party spirit"
For now, always Public Sentiment is everything as
Abraham Lincoln said it with Public Sentiment nothing
can fail, without 1t nothing can succeed