The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-06-22
May FORCE
LEADERSHIP
OF HARDING
Restlessness Throughout the
Country Over Listless Work
Of Congress May Compel
Assertion of Authority.
ROLE IS DISAGREEABLE
BY MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 22.-I
There are strong signs that President
Harding will shortly assert a leader
ship of congress to an extent that is
repugnant to his temperament, and
not sympathetic 10 his beliefs about
the separation between the executive
and legislative branches of the gov
ernment. If President Harding had
been asked any time up to a few
weeks ago whether he would ever
exert pressure on congress to hasten
purely legislative function, his an
swer would probably have beene an
emphatic no.
But the atmosphere of Washington
has universally come 10 regard con.
gress as lacking ia leadership within
itself and as unreasonably dilatory in
the important matters of taxation and
tariff This is supplemented by re-
ports of restlessness throughout the
country. The two combined have
caused President Harding to show
up of the leadership that congress
lacks.
Restricts Requests
quests to congress for action during
the present session to two measures
only, taxation and the tariff Those
two measures compose the admins
tration programme for the present
session. Mr.. Harding undoubtedly
would have preferred not to be com
PEELED to go further than the original
suggestion in his first message to con-
gress. But the pressure on him both
from business interests and from the
party leaders throughout the country,
and the pressure on him that is in
herent in the sun, are such that he
may shortly be expected to put his
shoulder behind the program.
Undoubtedly, that part of the coun-
try which is generally spoken of as
the business interests" expected that
in putting the Republican party in
power they were taking a step which
would result in prompt and capable
transition from war time conditions
TO peace conditions. That this transi-
tion must be accompanied by some
measures that will not be popular in
the board sense must be taken for
granted, but il was expected that the
Republican party, backed by such a
huge majority and with such comfort
able margins in both house and senate
as they had. would not lack the cour-
age to grasp these problems boldly.
Conditions Changed.
The fact is, however, this is just
what the Republicans seem to lack. In
the present tax schedule, and in other
respects we have statutory conditions
created in time of war. Arising out
of 1t, the present system of taxation
was designed, so to speak, to draft
money, and was designed also to take
from the private owners of business
most of that unearned increment
which arose as an incident of war
This was right and proper, but when
the conditions are reversed, and we
are in a period not of imitation, but ot
deflation, the continued existence oi
tax system conceived in this spirit
works hardships to individuals, and il
fortune to the country
There are aspects of our present
tax schedule which, as it has beer
expressed. act as an embargo on bus
iness. Transactions, which nigh
otherwise be transferred and pass
into useful activity are held. whether
wisely or not, for a price which will
enable the owner to pay the taxes
and still have a profit for himself Ir
some respects we are approximatins
the conditions of those eastern coun
tries governed by the Turk, where the
farmer, estimating the value of hi.
crop and the portion of it that will bt
taken by the tax collector, decides i
is not worth while to reap.
Leadership Lacking
But no Republican leader and NJ
Republican group in congress seem!
to have arisen that has either the in
tense application or the intelligenc,
TO work out what is required, in orde
10 change the conditions, and yet, a
the same time get the revenue NJ
leader or no group has arisen tha
has the energy and industry neces
sary to put such changes through
That this condition has become know
TO the country and has made tn
country restless. is the factor whicl
now brings President Harding to til
necessity disagreeble to him of assun
ing leadership himself.
Copyright 1921 by the New YorI
Eventing Post. lnc)