Show EPIDEMIC EARED A fD or Eli HIGH HI Of U. U 1 3 S. S I I I ashington Washington Full Fua of To Po cal Po itic 1 Gunmen Poison Gas Says Observer FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE 1 i ASHI ASHINGTON Dec 14 14 Amid Amid orgy orgy of investigations penda pend- pend I n I. I rl si i a sto and d th threatened g vi ened erlb off off- fl- fl j I n I. I si i sto g vi erlb I rv Is v giving g serious s to the un and underlying underlying- dying purposes Mind these crusades the general kt tl they ma may have and the tho 1 which they ther represent now or prospectively I entire etire fire do not enter into these ns The They are of e only as symptoms Bluntly t men llen sitting i In ih 1 the high places I h nation fear tear is that the coun- coun ay be on the verge of ot an anI I of ot investigations with 1 n ore re justification than the lust politicians p to smell fire where I e s not even smoke Another lye Ire hardly less Jess common is s the termination of ot special Interests rests d d In this or that direction by Policies alleles or programs of some a ment ment o of oP the government to toI toj I r j revenge by subjecting it Jt and heads h ds to investigation distinguished ll public servant Inti in ti tion n to know whereof he speaks whose Those name for obvious purses purs pur- pur ses s cannot be quoted thus es es epa situation which he declares rampant in Washington tit t all nil the gunmen in the eed States operate In ht the Chlo Chi Chi- o rea nor do they work ex- ex Ively with automatics and ma- ma fl Suns Washington is full of ot gunmen w whose ose weapons ac poison gas as and whose favorite sphere of activity Is Capitol They are not members of congress congress- on the contrary it js is members of at congress who are these particular objectives It Is Is Impossible im impossible into possible to estimate how ma may of ot the fraternity are te now on the scene But they customarily pitch their tents in the neighborhood of ot the capitol with the beginning of a new session of c congress The gunmen of oC f whom I am al sPeaking are usually plausible persons and they are ale alwa always al- al wa ways s 's persistent and persuasive e It t is the language of high minded patriotism pa pa- and of ot the public welfare we that they use ranch Francis Duc Due de la Rochefoucauld once remarked ed Interest Interest Interest In terest speaks all aU sorts of tongues and plays all sorts of ot parts oven even that of disinterestedness That describes de de- de scribes the poison polson gas gunmen's squad of Washington to a T. T SEES OPEN SEASON There seems seems reason to suspect that the twelvemonth lying immediately immediately immedi immedi- atel j J ahead ui OL of ot us ts will wIL be a wide i 1 j J ahead ui OL of ot us ts will wIL be a wide open season for tor the character assassination assassination as as- as assassination these resourceful and restless persons practice practice pro pro- Another presidential campaign Is impending There are ale ambitious men In both great gleat parties par par- ties Lies Some of ot them are already in government office others are well known to aspire aspre to secure of office of- of fice Investigations Investigations' having be become become he- he come the modern American method of ot besmirching reputations there are indications that It will be re resorted re- re resorted sorted to with afore than usual abandon In the times Umes to Intervene between now arid and 1928 Where th the gunmen come in is that the ground round must be prepared in advance by bys s systematic st and Insidious campaigns of oC Insinuation That Is their job It is circumstantially related that at least two great executive departments departments de de- de of or the government are areat areat 1 at it this moment threatened with congressional investigation probably probably probably ably with as little rh rhyme me or reason reason rea- rea son on as there is for Investigating the lie house and senate themselves The fomenters of these departmental departmental depart depart- mental inquisitions do not really suspect there is anything criminally or r even seriously wron wrong there Their only only object is to create in the public pub pub- lic Ile ic c mind on a nationwide scale flIp lic Ile ic c mind on a nationwide scale flIp the he impression that the state of ot Denmark seethes with rottenness They hey want to blast some ions They de desire lre to drive some people eople out of ot public life They have some ome scores to wipe out They have hu any ny number of axes t to to- grind That is s the alpha and omega of ot their zeal eal This writer interrupted his in- in I somewhat passionate denunciation deI denunciation de- de I of Washington's gun un- un en mento to to ask just where this sort of thin thing Is leading t to Unquestionably to the growing difficulty he lie replied of oC getting men o of ot caliber and character r to serve the thc country Americans of eminence and capacity are willing willingto to become government officials allow at al atlow atlow low pay Ja Hitherto Uncle Sam fortunately for for- I has experienced ed little trouble on that score But as surely aurely surely sure sure- ly as we are witnessing the mania of ot Investigation apparently soon to set in at Washington the time is coming when It will be Increasingly Increasingly increasingly hard to find the right sort of men to place their ch characters In Jeopardy In ht the exposed federal federa places They will shrink from facing facIng facing fac fac- ing the poison polson gas as of ot the political gunmen The They know they are defenseless defenseless de de- defenseless de- de against It ft They will prefer prefer prefer pre pre- fer the obscurity of oC private life to the risks of public service There Is Js now to be encountered In Washington a sentiment which will find considerable expression when slush fund sena sena- elect tors-elect elect tors and some Home sitting senators sena sena- are tors tors are put on the grill of ot i committees That sentiment sentiment senti senti- sentiment ment is that the cost of politics lII like e ethe the cost of oC everything else In the United States has gone up Primaries maries tharies and election campaigns In other words are lire going to be depicted depicted depleted de de- de- de as necessarily expensive e things because of the rise In price of ot ever every factor human or inanimate inanimate inanimate mate that enters Into the conduct of oC a twentieth century political contest Watchers and nd other othel sorts of I workers who cost 10 apiece on primary and election days In Penn Pennsylvania JI sylvania la last t May Ia could have been hired for 2 or 01 3 3 five or ten years ago o. Everywhere in the United States a horse and buggy used to suffice to cart a voter to the polls Livery stables hired them out for a couple of dollars a day or oi less Now Nowa a candidate or his manager must charter chartel an automobile or a fleet of ot automobiles automobileS' at five or ten times what what- election day day- transport used to cost Senator-elect Senator Vare are spent on the one item of ot printing and postage in circularizing Pennsylvania's Pennsyl Pennsyl- vania's vast electorate e of ot voters In 1900 or in 1890 Penns Pennsylvania's Pennsylvania's Penn Penn- s sylvania's I population was not only considerably smaller but printing u costs were immensely tense 1 y le less less 1 In in Tn n Mn Mc- r ic- ic u costs were immensely tense 1 y le less less 1 In in Tn n Mn Mc- r ic- ic Bryan Kinley-Bryan days political leaders could be employed at salaries running run run- running ning between 1500 and 2500 a year ear to organize and run campaigns Today loday wages wag three four and five fire times those figures are required It costs more to rent halls lease headquarters head head- headquarters quarters travel and to do any of the things present hour politics calls for Cor When hen slush funds come under fire the country may prepare prepare pre pre- prepare pare to be bc educated exhaustively c on the scores Just above mentioned |