The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-12-23
WASHINGTON LETTER


ular session of the SiXty-seventh Con-
gress what he thinks about the state
of the Union, with the exception OF
the Newberry case, and what he eX-
poets of this session.
Initiating President Wilson, he read
his message in person, and following
in the footsteps of his illustrious pre-
decessor, he notified Congress that he
would not obey it's order abrogating
all existing commercial treaties. He
also followed in the footsteps of the
Wilson administration in his revival
of the proposal for the reclamation of
arid lands to provide homes for SOL
diers.
The President administered rep
rimand to the agricultural bloc, cou-
pied with a plea for party unity on
the ground that we have party gov
eminent, but ignored the plain fact
that Republican dissension in Con-
gress is due to TIE autocratic spirit
and dictatorial attitude of the reac-
tionary, special privilege, solid ivory
bloc.
His dissatisfaction with the tax bill
passed at the special session makes
the dissatisfaction unanimous, and il
will be interesting to note what sue
cess he achieves when he comes back
later, as he promises to do, with a
special plea for further reduction in
the higher surtax for the benefit large
ly of profteers.
President Harding's attempt to
meet conditions in way to justify
the passing of a tariff law is almost
pathetic. From a reactionary party
standpoint, perhaps, it was tactful,
but as far as affording any sGtisfac-
tory solution of the tariff muddle it
is as impotent as the tariff bill itself
as it came from tie hands of "Uncle
Joe" Fordney.
His plan is to have Congress dele
gate its constitutional power to levy
tariff taxes to the Executive, so that
the taxes can be levied by himself In
the form of an executive order, or a
ukase, after the manner that legisla-
ton was promulgated in Russia in the
days of the Cars. It would seem
that many of the ideas Of the Execu-
tive are largely dependent either upon
a change of the Constitution or the
delegation Of constitutional authority
or ignoring the Constitution entirely
for their application.
The suggestion for constitutional
amendment to enable the taxing of
State and municipal securities now
exempt is of double value, except per-
perhaps as a political gesture, for the
reason that in the belief of many
thrce-fourths of the states which are
able to market their securities salts
factorily, largely because they are ex-
empt from taxation, would have to
ratify the amendment. The suggestion
that the States surrender another
constitutional right in a matter that
affects the very fundamentals of our
dual system of government will arouse
more or less controversy. This is a
matter that should be dealt with in a
more practical manner and that will
give greater promise of success on
more equitable lines.
1t may be assumed that favorable
reception will be given to the Pres
ident's recommendation to appropri-
ate for the Russian famine sufferers a
sum sufficient to purchase 100000
bushels of corn and 100000 bushels
of seed grain, although this is way be-
low the estimate by Gov. Goodrich of
Indiana, who has made survey of the
situation and who estimates it will
take fifteen or twenty million bushels
of corn and four or five million bush
els of seed wheat to relieve 25,O00,000
people.
The purchase of the corn and the
seed grain for this worthy purpose
would help the American farmer in
getting rid of his surplus and would
give relief in corresponding measure
to the railroads which exact freight
rate in sum equal to the cost Of rails
ing the grain.
In contrast to President Harding's
statement acknowledging "the really
large volume and excellent quality OF
work accomplished by the extraordi-
nary session Of Compress which so re-
Gently adjourned" is the opinion ex-
pressed on the floor of the House just
prior to the adjournment of the spe-
cial session by a prominent Republi-
can Congressman, VIM. R. Wood, of
Indiana:
II know the very serious condition
that is prevailing throughout the land
l am only speaking the truth when
say that the people of this country
employed in every vocation and in ev-
cry character of business are giving
this Congress hell. They are doing it
because we have done nothing to slim
ulate business. They are doing it be-
cause we have done nothing to give
employment to the unemployed. They
are doing it because we have done
nothing to benefit the farmer anu
stimulate the price of the farmers
products" sI"
Progressiveism vs.. Reactionaryism
The Sixty-Seventh Congress as
sembles for its first regular session
under different circumstances from
those at the beginning of the special
session last April. Then always har-
mony, at least on the surface, within
the Republican party. which had JUS,
regained power through the overthrow