The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-07-09
HARDING HAS
STRONG HOLD
ON PRESTIGE
Senate Weakness, Appoint
ment of Dawes and Taft
Causes Public Confidence
to Repose in President.
PARTY TEST IS COMING
BY MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, D. c., July AT
the end of the fourth month of Hard
ings administration some things are
so clear and so much taken for grant.
ed that it is difficult to realize how
different they are than what was
anticipated.
1t is difficult to realize that year
ago, when Harding was nominated
and eight months ago when he was
elected, and four months ago when he
was inaugurated into office, there was
wonder as to the degree to which he
would be subservient to the senate.
Even less than three months ago.
when Harding made his opening ad-
dress to the present session of con-
gress, he was still sufficiently con-
scious of this atmosphere to utter an
urbane but firm warning to the SEN
ate TO the effect that each must re-
spect the others prerogrative.
All of this, recent though it is, now
seems like something as far back as
William Mckinley and Mark Hanna.
Nobody talks any more about the
senatorial oligarchy"
Senate is Weak
The senate for from controlling the
administration, does not even control
ltSef, and the question that is upper
most today is not whether the senate
is going to dominate Harding but the
degree to which Harding must be led
reluctantly to dominate the senate if
the country is to get any action out of
the latter body.
The reasons for all this lie chiefly
in Harding's unexpected strength and
the senate's unexpected weakness.
Harding has gone quietly about his
job and has done it well. The senate
Tor week or two talked somewhat
excltedly about the control they were
gong to assume over the government
ana especially over foreign affairs.
mat came to nothing, and since then
the senate has done nothing to i'm.
press the public favorably, with one
exception.
This exception does not really rep.
resent the senate. Senator Borah's
initiative in proposing an information.
al conference for disarmament and
his energy in pressing it until a IN.
willing or Indifferent senate voted for
1t unanimously is the solitary act that
has come out of the senate in the ma.
ture Of the sort of leadership likely
to impress the public and give the
| senate prestige
Impressive Record
Any fair review of Harding -four
months in the white house must cred
! 1t him with a most impressive record
| or achlevement. In the first place. he
] appointed cabinet of strong men
| Not less important than this is the
fact he has kept this group of strong
men working in complete and happy
| harmony.
Once in SO often a fragment of the
! kind of gossip that is too common ir
Washington expresses speculation as
! 70 who will be the first to resign from
! the ca binet. In this, of course. there
is always an implication of some riff
or other in Harding's official family
The truth, however, is there is moth
ing in this.
Probably Harding's greatest gift i:
! that quality of his personality which
has enabled him to keep ten forcefu
men working together without tn,
faintest trouble in being or in sight
That he should be a BILE to do this a
Continued on Page Thirteen.)