The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-09-07
BIZ, ROW
BREWING
IN G. O. P
SIGNS Of Friction in
Republican Organi-
zation Becoming
More 81 Noticeable
Daily
Ry wallace Bassford

&
washington, Sept. st was a
splendid assemblase that gathered
last March to witness the inaugu-
ration of President Harding, after
EIGHT years of Republican wander
ing IN Sne wilderness, largely. due
TO President Taft's strong leaning
toward corporate interests and to
Republican legislative favors to
the big rich. The crowd on the
presidential pavilion; and the re-
served sections was made up large
81 Of siik-hatted gentlemen whose
names are found in the lists Of
the directorate OF the big industrial
corparatioES, railroads and banks
Rhere we're many greetings. much
of handshaking and ccngratulat-
iHg bnt perhaps nothing was more
enHghtensag than the brief confab
Getweeu one OF the guests and one
of the wise old Republican sena-
tors WHO had seen Mckinley and
Taftscome and go. The Director was
IN fne fettIe the conditions were
anspscsous- He remarked, as he
l0eked about on republican senaS
tors representatives and hangers
s, sleek. prosperous and without
aunber that st looks as if the
nsil snninn has come ..Yes," re-
pied tha Did and wise senator,
and thct same millennium viii,
within a sew nonsns, blow up with
loud bang =
;M has not yet blown up, but
those who saw the beginnings Of
cleavage IN the Republican ranks
ii 1893 and saw that split result
l.the election of "a Democratic
congress IN 1910. are strongly re-
minded OF those days. Dissension
sssf-ong in the Republican ranks
today. They are again finding
ample causes for disagreements
afong the old lines of Standpatter
and Progressive While the tariff
Bll was being put together in the
house, the dance at the crack OF
the party whip. succeeded in nodi-
ging the bill in. half a dozen i'm
portaut particulars. In fact, they
bear the organization on every
thing on which they were allowed
to have a separate vote. Now it is
learned that the bill is to be laid
aside. at least for a time, in order.
10 SIve the right OF way to the
faxation bill which was not start
Sd xntis after the tariff bill had
pasSad She house There are those
Who think st is being laid aside per-
rsanentl The president seems i'm
ssessed with the regularity With
sWhieh Repub bIean defeat has fole
scwed their tariff Gnkering in tina
SFEe session which recently took
q months recess while the coun-
IL is suffering from a score of Sc
Eous Ills, passed but one bill OF
wide application and large import
the agricultural credits bill.
The president called the session to
pass a new tariff bill, TO reduce
the burden of taxation and to take
care Of the railroads by legislating
so that they could at once receive
the money owed them by the gov
ernment and defer for ten years
payment Of those sums which the
roads owe to the treasury None
of these three things, which the
Republicans claim are wise, salu-
fary and needfu1, has been accom-
plished. The congress got each job
about half completed and then
took q recess. The Democratic
leaders took the view that it was
inst as well, on the ground that
they would. if they remained in
session, enact poor and harmful
legislation. They, the Democrats,
have not enough votes to initiate
good legislation, nor, in most cases,
enough to defeat the bad.
Just why the Republican con-
gressmen should be in such need
of a rest is hard to understand, for
the votes recorded in the Congress
siona1 Record prove that the aver
age roll eaal showed only about
two-thirds of the Republican mem
bersh.3 present, excepting during
the first few days and the last few
DAYS OF the session. In other
words, something like one-third of
the Republicans were absent on
each roll call.