The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-09
ELEPHANT AND
DONKEY ARE UP
TO OLD TRICKS
Nornalcy' Returns
With Repub-Den,o
Squabbles.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1921.
Especial to The Argus.)

washington, sept S.-After SIX
months of truce that was more
! apparent than real, the Democratic
and Republican parties have come
| out in the open and gone back to-
partisan politics. The Democrats
have begun an attack on the admin
istration and as usual the incumb-
ent party fights back with asser-
tions of great achievement.
| Behind the scenes there hasn't
been any truce at all. Deserving
| Republicans have been clamoring
for offices and ousted Democrats
have reluctantly let go. Chairman
| George White, of the Democratic
national committee, started out
/ with plan Of standing behind the
president" for patriotic reasons and
kept his henchmen from kicking
over the traces too soon in partisan
attack. But the action of the Re
( publicans in excluding the Demo-
Gratis from the ways and means
committee meetings. at which the
tariff and tax measures were dis
/ cuSSed, indicated that the nom
! partisan days of the war were not
tc be repeated and that it was
free-for-all fight along the same
| lines as existed before the war
when the Democrats framed their
administration measures in party
1 conferences.
"POlitics as Usual.-
/ AS an indication that things are
back to normalcy in politics, much
! comment is heard upon the fact that
President Harding's letter to SEN
ator Mccormick attacking the meth
cd by which the Democratic admin
istration managed the war has not
been regarded as an Improperly,
7 although Mr.. Wilson's letters to
/ Democratic senators apropos Of
congressional elections were made
the basis for widespread criticism.
The difference today is that the
fighting is back on the old lines
with apologists for the administra-
tion arguing that President Hard-i
ing is the greatest president since
Lincoln and opponents contendtng
that most everything done thus far
is all wrong and that dire predic-
tlons about a business depression
have been confirmed. The amusing
part of the spectacle-for most of
il is too artificial to be taken seri-
ously-is that the Democrats are
shouting about the good old days
of Democratic prosperity" when
worklngmen's wages were high and
the business mans profits were
plentiful while the Republicans in
turn are pointing the finger of
blame at the war extravagancas of
the Democrats in piling up a tax
burden that seemingly can't be re-
duCed.
Pershing-Gompers Join In.
Meanwhile General Pershing and
Samuel Gompers are having a
newspaper debate on the subject of
after dinner speaking and are re-
viving the controversy as to who
won the war. Mr.. Gompers is dis
appointed with the attitude of the
Republican administration toward
labor and is making speeches say
ing that five million men out of
work is proof of the fact that the
workingmen who wanted a change
got what they voted for Other la
Dor leaders are crying that while
congress takes vacation, there
are millions of workingmen who
are also taking a vacation" but
without pay.
All the partisan pickering, how
ever, will not be Immediately OF
avail to either side for disinterest-
ed political observers are confident
that nothing has happened as yet
upon which to base definite
judgment concerning the congress
sional elections of next autumn
The contest in New Mexico where
a special election is being held TO
I'LL the vacancy caused by the re-
signation of Senator Fall is being
hailed as a test of administrator
policies but while the Democrats
and Republicans are ready to crow
depending upon whether the ous-
come is favorable to them eacn slue
knows in it's heart that the electloh
will not be a test of approval OF
oisapproval of the administration
course. The truth is the blgSest
issue of all is taxation ana ousl-
ness conditions. On the former
congress has as yet to act. AS 10
the latter the chance OF a business
recovery in time to insure coHn-
dence in the ultimate revival OF IL,
dustrial prosperity is just as good
for the Republicans as IL was Tue
day they took office. The aoh,hls-
tration hasn't been in power lohS
enough to be sure of approval ana
the Democrats may make a lot ut
noise but they TOO know from eX-
perience that six months doesn't
make or break an administrator
Unless a glaring blunder or strik-
ing achievement fulfills a cam
paign pledge on a burning issue,
All that has happened thus far
is a marking of time with both the
Democrats and Republicans glover
ing at each other militantly while
the country, still hoping that gov
ernment can be conducted with
"politics adjourned" for two or
four year periods, waits patient
ly for lower taxes and better ousl-