The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-26

count of the imperfections of the bill
which he sponsored. was crab"
from beginning to end. He was i'm
patient irritable, peevish. In public
he extolled the bill. In private, he
scoffed at It, In the end. he declared
that it would serve for short time.
but must be succeeded later by new
document. In this connection, Sena-
tor Simmons of North Carolina ex-
claimed.
THE chairman Of the committee
was wont. when we first met in April,
to advise the country how quickly,
how thoroughly, the republican party
would take up the revenue bill and
relieve the people of the generous, I'M
necessary and oppressive burdens
which the democrats had imposed
upon them. After our waiting more
than five months, appealingly wait
ing, this sluggish old party moves
with astonishing celebrity and after
two or more months spent in deliber-
alton brings out of committee this
abortion of a tax bill and tries to boil
ster 1t up for a while But when in
an open session Of Congress it's in
equalities and weaknesses are pre-
sented, when 1t appears to the coun
try aB but a skeleton of what was
promised, when the wrath of the pub
lie finding expression not only in
democratic and progressive dailies,
but in the 'reactionary press, de-
nounced it as monstrosity and
fraud, and told of It's cheat ting and
trickng and denying of the hopes
and prayers of the people. they try to
hurry 1t through, hoping that amend
ments they have been forced to accept
may somewhat ameliorate the situa-
a. II.
Big business sore
They presented 1t and forced 1t
through under whip and spur. Yet at
the last minute, when all amendments
have been made, when the conference
has acted, they learn for the first time
that their efforts have not placated
especially the big interests whom
they have been unable to help in the
way they promised to help, because
the friends of the people in the two
houses would not permit them fully
to accomplish that outrage and
shame. They find that the very men
to whom the republican party is OBJ
ligated by an obligation against
which 1t hardly dares to turn its
back, are still indignant and dissat-
isfied and demanding what they
bought and paid for. You have prom
lSed, we nave bought, they say, ana
you have failed to deliver the goods
Then, Mr.. President. In the con-
ference room when the last chapter is
closed we find expressions falling
from the lips of the controlling mem
bers of the committee of their dis
gust with their work. But when we
get upon the floor, the senator from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Penrose) SAYS
that the work is very good. The SEN
ator forgets, however, that In the
memoranda which he sent to the desk
and he'd read was embraced the state-
ment that the bill was but make
shift, merely temporary bridge
over which the old republican party
might pass; that speedily, very speed
lily, wee would undertake another re-
vision of the tax laws.
G. o. p. lis Exposed
Let me say to the senator from
Pennsylvania that he and his party
will not be able to revise this tax
measure as much in the interest of
those classes as they would wish or
as they have demanded of this Con-
gress Let me say that the Old
Guards failure in this bill Is a dem
onstration of It's incapacity. 1t is a
disclosure of their lack of construc-
tive ability and initiative. It gives