Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-12-02
G. @. P. SPLIT
OVERSHADOWED
BY ARMS EVENT
Republican Party Conditions
Held Much the Same as
in 1912.
BREACH GROWS WIDER
By RICHARD LINTHICUM.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-The wide and
constantly growing split in the Repub-
lican party as manifested by the gigantic
revolt Of western Republicans, mostly
Progressives, against the reactiOnary
leadership and policy Of their party,
would, under ordinary conditions, be
filling ad cVerfowing the columns Of the
newspaper press now given in large part
to the Details Of the conference on the
limitation Of ornaments by a trained and
able army OF newspaper correspondents
and a corps Of brilliant commentators.
The conditions are much the same as
those which led up to and prevailed in
the Republican party split in 1912, con
dition which the Republican reactionaries
seemingly have ignored, for it is not
possible they can have forgotten it.
The fundamental underlying cause Of
the constantly widening breach in the
Republican party, Is now as in 1902
the reactionary policy and leadership OF
the party, as in the days Of Cannonism
and the reign OF Aldrich. Not only is
the Republican leadership reactionary IN
the Senate and House, hut 1t is equally
so In the White House. The record OF
Mr.. Harding as a Senator is reactionary
from beginning to end, and there need be
no better illustration Of his reactionary-
ism as President than his advocacy Of
the manufacturing class and TO the det-
riment of all natural industries; his plea
for the reduction OF the maximum sur
tar rate from IS to 30 ger cent to relieve
multimillionaires and prodteers, as
against a rate of so per cent favored by
Congress and his obstructive interior
ence In this respect and in other matters
WITH the work Of Congress.
REAcTIoNARY POLICIES
SAME AS IN 1919.
The present reactionary policies and
leadership OF the Republican party are
the same as those denounced in 1912 by
Theodore Roosevelt. and against which
the West revolted under his dynamic
leadership. Instead of Cannon, Payne,
Aldrich, Penrose ct al, we now have
Penrose, smoot. Brandegee, Fordney,
Monde1, with Watson, New, WadswOrth.
Du Pont, FrelInghuysen ct al. as satel-
1ites
The only things the Republican party
has tried to do under this leadership have
been to enable great wealth to escape
its Just share of taxation; the big cor
porations to escape the excess profits tax ;
the corporations generally to escape taxes
By not distributing their profits; the
profteering manufacturers to charge eX-
orhitant prices, resulting IN excess profits,
through tariff legislation; the big bank
ers 70 again get control Of the finances
Of the Government; the big railroad
owners to profit by guarantees; ap0ro-
priations and advances; the packers TO
pursue their well-known methods in deal
ing with the stock raiser. the farmer and
the general public. without any genuine
Federal control; in fact, practically every
thing they have tried to do has teen in
the interest Of the special privilege classes
and against the interests Of the pro
ducers and the masses Of consumers.
Whatever legislation has been passed
Of any benefit 70 the people generally
has been because the reactionaries have