The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-08-26
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer.
Copyright 1921.

Especial Dispatch to The RetoFmef.)
Copyright 1921.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26.-Today
marks a milestone of progress in the
Harding administration. Congress has
cleared up half the job of the. special SEES
sion and set the senate finance committee
to work on a tax bin. President Hard
ing and Secretary Hughes have finally
disposed of the troublesome treaty which
for the last two and a half years. has
been provocative of SO much p~artisanship.
and has delayed domestic rcconStruction.
Thc formula of the Harding mimi
tratiOn for the making Of peace with the
/ central powers has undergone many shifts
and changes, but the Democrats are join
ing with the Republicans in saying the
/ treaties will be ratified if for no other
! reason than the country is sick n tired
of controversy and impatient to have a
proclamation of peace issued ending
Americas anomalous status in world poll
tics.
Confident OF Treaty.
L This assurance from all political fac
lions that the treaty with Germany will
be ratified means a greater moral effect
to the signing of the pact han would
otherwise obtain. Business men, who
have been waiting for a clearing up of
relations with Germany, will go ahead
with their plans feeling confident that in
this case at least the signing of Il treaty
by the executive branch of the govern
ment is tantamount to ratification by the
senate. 1t makes an the difference in the
world when the executive and legislative
branches OF a government are of the same
political complexion. Indeed. this treaty
was negotiated in absolute secrecy and
the White House admits the United
States government requested of Germany
that secrecy be maintained. But the Re
publican majority stood with the admin
istration and the Democratic minority
found it difficult to criticize their political
opponents for following n course pursued
by the preceding Democratic adminiStra-
ton. About the only persons who derive
rauy satisfaction ont of the turn Of Of
fairs are those who have been prOclaiming
the theory that both the Democrats and
Republicans are very much the same
when in power and that the differences
are mainly those of ms and outs.
Helped by Good Majority.
But the truth j. that Mr.. Harding has
been helped by the possession ofaa.big
majority in the senatc-SO big as 10 en-
able him to get treaties through without
much difficulty. Although it seemed sew
eral weeks ago as if the administration
control of congress was loose. the devel-
OInlPnIS OF the laSL rev DAYS nave DeIleu
such a statement. Representative Mon
dell, Republican house leader, pushed the
various administration measures through
the house in record time and the groups
in the senate which threatened to inter
fere with the plan of Mr.. Lodge. Repub-
lican leader of the senate. for a months
recess were Summarily defeated. Whether
10 was the propelling power of President
Harding or the realization on the part of
the Republican leaders that their mastery
Of the situation in congress was being
tested. anyway the program of the adj
ministration has gone through and every
body is much happier that the machinery
of the majority party is functioning