The Idaho recorder., 1921-04-01
MIR. HARDiSG'S
TROt BLES.

Government Il very simple
thing, after adj, - remarked Mr.. Hard
ing during the campaign, but MIR.
Harding as President OF the United
states Is not finding government a
very simple thing, after all.
FOR campaign purposes all that
was necessary to pat the country on
ITS feet after the most devastating
war known TO history was 10 elect a
Republican President and Republi-
can Congress. Then everything would
automatically be for the best in the
best possible Of worlds. II Is quite a
different story, however, when cam
paign rhetoric is subjected to the acid
test Of responsible administration.
Although the Harding Administra-
ton L. not four weeks old, Mr.. Sci
bold, the New York Worlds political
correspondent, reports from Washing
ton that "a pronounced note OF pesse-
mism, regarding the outlook for &C.
onomic and industrial relief IL always
prevalent In the discussions between
high officials Of the Administration
and the newspaper representatives.
There Is plenty Of ground for pessi-
mism, but the Republican Party, or
70 put u more precisely, the Repub-
lican Party In Congress, Is the arch
itect OF its own misfortunes. Having
Systematically blocked peace and re-
construction for two years, II Il now
confronted with all the consequences
of its folly and mendacity.
The Harding Administration Ia on
is way. but 1t does not know where
" ~ going. II has no foreign policy
that 1t can define, and it has no do
mcstic policy that Il worthy OF the
name. The peace Of the world that
was won at such colossal expenditure
IN blood and treasure Ii slowly dis
integfating, largely because the Unit
ed states Senate, under the Leadership
Of Henry Cabot Lodge, refused to
ratlfy the Treaty of Versailles and
assist in stabilizing the victory. With
TINS disintegfsti0n has come an eco
nomic depression that has mobilized
an army OF 100000 unemployed in
the United States, brought about
Wholesale reductions In wages and
has left American agriculture pros
trate. The Government IL facing an
enormous deficit in its revenues and
IL has no program.
Mr. Harding Ii promising the
american farmer tariff that would
amount To an embargo on imports Of
lood, a. III this could be of any value
IN solving a problem that Is due To
me inability Of Europe to buy Amer
can food products, for the lack of
which milIions are on the verge of
starvation. There can be no reduc-
ion in taxation because the present
sources of revenue no longer provide
he money that the Government Ia
pending. All that can be done Ia to
'hift taxation and devise new expcd- ,
ents for obtaining additional revenue.
he one constructive piece of legisla- +
ion enacted by the Sixty-sixth Con-
.ress, the Esch- Cummings Railroad
Jaw, has already broken down and II
doomed to the junk heap.
Government may be very simple
hing on the Marion front porch, but
IL very complicated thing In the
White House. yet most of the diff
alties with which the Harding Adj
IL eontending might
ave been. avoided II the Sixty sixth
congress had not wantonly sacrificed
he welfare Of the country in oredr
. manufacture partisan issues for
ne 1870 campaign. Statesmanship
iould have ratified the treaty OF
eacc, revised taxation and taken up
he pressing work of reconstruction,
nt there was no atatesmanShip In
'ongress. There was only degrad.
il and dehased partisanship,
Mr.. Harding need look no further
han the record Of his party to ilnd
he origin OF his troubles about which
e and his advisers are so pesSimistic.