Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-19
PoStponinu the EVIL Day

/ THROUGHOUT the course OF this admin
istrhtion ,hcr" has been marked dis
INCLINATION on art OF the President TO
meet fairly ana Lrciy the issues which he
has been compelled 10 face Instead OF
showing capacity for decision and the
moral courage to dca! with realities as
,hcy present themselves to him. he has
yielded again and again to the disposition
10 delay 'empori2c and compromise
lak" tic case of the soldier bonus Mr.
Harding and his Secretary of the Treasury.
after canvasSing the financial resources of
Inc government. concluded that the passage
OF ihc bonus bill ut this time. or n, any
tln", would imperil the solycncy of the
fc'eral treasury. An outlay Of two three
or I'VE billions of dollars might not literally
bankrupt the government as has been sur-
ScS,od. hut it would so cmharrass the adj
ministration and Congress that the adoption
OF the McCumbcr bill was totally on, of tho
question Instead Of calling upon Congress-
however. to defeat the bonus bill once for
all give definite ana final notice to tho
abl"-hodtcd cX-scrvicC men that they had
nothing to hope from their government
with respect to cash bonuses ana thereby
ending the agitation and the suspense Mir
harding merely asked that Congress defer
consideration OF the bill. This means that
IL Will como up at the next session of
IL is disposed of one way or another
'rh"n again. when the question of taxa
ton was taken mp n the White House con
terence. Mr.. Harding agreed with WAYS
ana Means Committee that the wiser course
would he to reduce taxation. even if by so
u"IhE an enormous deficit would be in
Cured and a resort To further borrowing
follow. Instead of telling tho committees
that Secretary Mellon was right in Tho
iatt"rs demand that enough money he
raised 10 meet tho governments bills IN.
President was willing, for political reasons
To pass the whole taxation issue along TO
another Congress. meanwhile. pilinr nm
deficit that can he met only bv an increase
III the public debt
once moro. in the matter of a sopara,o
peace with Germany. the Prcsidcn, had tho
opportunity the day he signed The peace
resolution. To notify Congress and the coun-
try that he would either negotiate a son
arhie peace treaty with the late enemy.
without regard to the treaty OF Versailles
or els" he would adopt the Versailles pact
as the basis Of his agreement with Ger
many. He did neither. He deferred his
decision. He preferred to allow matters
TO drift
Finally. instead OF telling Congress can
di4iy at the outset that he was about ,o
call disarmament conference he allowed
the House and Senate 10 wranglc for weeks
over the terms OF Il disarmament resolution
~ ihS procras,natinn. much OF the credit
due to tho executive for his course with
regard to tho limitation OF ornaments WAS
sacrificed. Tie app cared TO have been
forced into taking action by "A Congress. the
actions OF which he was unable TO control
In time OF course, this INDIGESTION. and
these delays in dealing with vital problems
viii return to plague the administration
Meanwhile, only doubt and suspense AFRO
cngeniered III tho minds OF the people as
TO ultimate policies