The daily times., 1921-07-09
HARDING FRIENDLY
CAPITOL VISITOR
TALKING ECONOMY
HURT NoBoDY's FEELINGS
The Presidents Words Spoken
in the Informality of the
Capitol Atmosphere Can Do
Much More Good Than For
NAL Conference That Might
be Held at White House.
(By David Lawrence. J


Copyright 1921 by The Daily Times)
Washington, July 8.-President
Harding has at last thrust himself
into the congressional situation in
the hope of leading his party from
the aimless paths it has been travel
ing into roads that will mean party
achievements instead of personal ag-
grandizement.
Mr.. Harding's visit tC the Senate is
big topic of conversation in the ma
tionaI capital today. He did not Of
fend his former colleagues. He did
not kindle the fires of sensitiveness
about executive encroachment as
sometimes was the case with his pre-
decessor. He made it more of fra
ternal visit-an appeal to the Senate
to help the Executive keep his pledge
of economy and retrenchment.
Mr. Harding's words, spoken in the
informality OF the Capitol atmos-
phere, can ado much more good than
formal conferences at the White
House. The President went to the
Senate principally to urge that act
ion on the bonus bill be deferred. He
has for some days been uneasy about
it believing that such measure
would at one fell stroke undo all that
General Dawes and the budget bu-
reau can do in five years.
But the significant and outstanding
fact about Mr.. Harding's trip to the
Capitol is that it was necessary al
all. Why was the bonus bill ever re-
ported out of committee? Much en-
barassment would have been saved
Mr.. Harding if the measure had beer
ordered to repose in committee. Ger
tain members of the Senate up for re
election next time couldn't see it that
way. They felt they had to make ;
gesture e4en though some Other
force actually defeated the propose
later on. It's another case of one o.
two men who are SO eager to be re
elected that they would not hesitat'
to saddle the country with an extr;
billion dollars of debt at the wron,
time
Senate leadership is not what Mr
Harding had a right to expect. Sen
ator Penrose used to WELD consider
able influence in handling legisla
tion. He wasn't on the job when tn
bonus bill was in committee.
Conferences between Mr.. Penros
and the Treasury Department woul
have ended discussion of the bonu
at this time. Mr.. Penrose as chair
man of the Senate Finance Commit
tee has been looked upon as tn
spokesman Of the administration o
all matters relating to finance. Tim
was when he would have asserte
himself and assumed the leadershi
but his health is not what it used t
be-
Senator Lodge, Republican leadel
has endeavored conscientiously. t
bring the various elements i'm th
party into line. But it is significar
to note that his request for thre
week recess concurred in by Senate
Underwood, the Democratic leade
was turned down by an insurgent ell
ment which pushed both the bonl
proposition and the farm finance bi
to the fore. Mr.. Lodge had to get he,
from the White House. Presidel
Harding announced himself as favo
ing the recess. The point is that IL
Senate while waiting for the Hou
to get through with the tariff bi
may pass too many bills upon Il
insistence of individual membe
which would only embarass the a
ministration and put the responsib
ity for failure Of those same mea
ures on members of the House. II
purpose OF the recess is to keep &
Senate from legislating on extran
GUS issues and getting all tangled
30 that when the big tarift and /
CONTINUED on page 50