The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-15
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1921.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer)
Copyright 1921
WASHINGTON, Sept. ia crisis
! has arisen in the leaders ship of the Re
publican party in congress. The defeat
of Senator Pcnrose, chairman of the
! senate finance committee, who tried to
put through the proposal of the Hard
| ing administration that excess profits
| taxes be repealed as of last January,
has left the executive branch of the
| government in an embarrassing position.
! Secretary Mellon was not only turned
down by the house but his proposals
| nave been rejected by the senate finance
committee where it was confidently be
! lleved that the wishes OF the Presl dent
AID secretary of the treasury would be
| granted.
Business Men Disappointed
Ibis situation, which naturally dIsap-
FONTS all The business meu who had
ueeu promised by Republican leaders
| that the excess profits taxes would lie
repealed Immediately Is further cOuplI-
Gated by the knowledge that shortly
senator Lodge, majority leader, VIII be-
come absorbed il his duties. as a mem
bCT OF the American commission to the
armament conference, and that leader
! ship of the party on foreign affairs as
| wen as other matters will have to b.
undertaken by somebody else. 1t is true
| that the Democrats VIII also lose Sen
atO- Underwood, the elected leader, but
fortunately Senator Hitchcock OF Ne
braska, who was the original choice OF
i great many Democrats for leader and
who bore the brunt OF the treaty fight
the logical man to lead the minority
through the fall and winter Senator
! Pat Harrison OF Mississippi, a close
| friend and lieutenant of Senator Tn
deTWood,- and growing force in the
Democratic party can also be depended
upon to assist Senator Hitchcock in
handling the Democratic end of the
lights that are sure to develop i'm the
approaching session Of congress.
Republicans Perplexed
The Republican problem is not 80 cas-
ily solved. Mr.. Lodge has had his trou-
bles from tine very day he was chosen
leader. He has tried hard to harmonic
the - irreconcilabies - and the ''reser
|Natiomists' on the treaty fight and he
was able to bring about harmony only
by pCrsGadlng his own. group TO sur
render outright to the irreconcilables.
The passing Of the treaty controversy
, however, has gwen other controversies
tax program and the efforts of an agrif
/ cultural bloc 10 pass legislation of spe
clal interest to the agricultural sections
Of the country have produced kinks
which are still far from being straight
ened out. Then there Is another Align
mcnt-the IrogresSIves Of old are grow
ing Ciannlsh. They are beginning to Use
he phrase ''staud pat' to descrb,
their conservative brethren. The tan
question will afford the PTogresslyes
their first chance to revive the old line
Of controversy. Already the Progress
slves say II matters not to them who Is
4 chosen leader Of the Republican senate
to act in place OF Senator Lodge They
insist that they viii follow anyone who
agrees with their views. They point to
the coming election in New Mexico and
characterize Senator Bursum as a
stand pat, Republican. If he is de
teated, the Progressivcs say their col
leagues will take note of the warning
On the other hand, the conservatives
win feel their position strengthened if
Mr.. Bursum is reelected.
Other Disturbing Groups
Meanwhile President Harding is dis
turbed by the rise of groups inside aud
outside of congress. He doesn't believe
in group power and can be expected
dency in America. Congress reconvenes
within a fortnight and while the recess
has given the senate finance committee
an opportunity to work without inter
EuptiOn, the President is confronted
with a worse situation than when con
gress adjourned MIR. Peurose, his
spokesman in the senate finance com
mittce. has been unable to get the ad-
ministration proposals through that
BODY which he once controlled so easily.
And if a tax program Is rejected. what
fate win befall the administration s
bill to fund the foreign debt. a proposal
in which business everywhere is also
deeply interested because of its possible
effect or the industrial situation in the
United States? Mr.. Harding is away on
a vacation but when he gets back he
win find that the crisis in the congress
sional situation will demand instant