The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-10-16
REPUBLICAN
TRICKSTERS
ARE ACTIVE
WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS
THAT WORK AGAINST
THE GENERAL GOOD
LODGE REAL POWER.
Behind The Throne Debating
Policy OF The Government
Toward All Important
Legislation.

Washington. ID. c., to the Dispatch
under date of October 18th, says:
It looks now as if the Republican
organization in the Senate has mar
rowly escaped split of such serious
ness as to threaten the disruption o
the party in the nation. The matte
has been patched up and the evil da,
postponed, but those who conside
the fundamental differences between
the Republican Senatorial group 0.
the West and the Senate bosses o.
the East, feel that the inevitable clea
wage between those divergent inter
ests cannot be far off 1t is the old
old contest between those who owe
their seats to the people and have tC
depend on the votes of the people
and those who receive their commits,
sions at the hands Of the political
bosses, who in turn are financed by
predatory wealth.
Republican high politics was in a
critical state to cause Senator Lodge
the New England Brahmin, to go to
the home of Senator Capper, where a
score of Western Republicans-La-
Toilette, Borah, McNay, Norris, and
the rest of the so-called Agricultural
Bloc"-full of fight, were ready to
join the Democrats if necessary to re-
construct the big tax measure. There
Lodge pleaded with them to meet the
regulars in compromises on the bill
which would still permit it to be call
ed Republican legislation. How re-
mindful of the day when the Western
Republicans of the House formed a
coalition with the Democrats to de-
stroy Cannonism!
Lodge conceded much-so much
that the people will probably get a
better deal in the taxation bill. It
looks like (after some forty altera-
tions in the plans Of the leaders, the
surtaxes on the swollen incomes will
go as high as SO per cent instead Of
80, and that the tax on excess profits
will be repepaled as of next January.
To make the appeal date back would
have left in the hands of the eorpo-
rations all the excess they had charg-
ed the public to cover the Federal tax.
The bill will probably carry an in
crease in the corporation tax to Offset
some of the nuisance taxes which the
Insurgents desire to have repealed.
The Republican newspapers are
pleased to refer to the Western Sena-
tors forming the insurgent group as
the Agricultural Bloc" The purpose
of this is to ignore the deeper fact
that it is the same old Progressive
that wrecked the Pepubli-
can party a decade ago. 1t repre-
sents the irreconcilable differences be-
tween the wings of the party, differ
ence so deep and ineradicahle that
it is impossible for them to agree on
action that is to result in legislation
They got together while the party
was out and could not legislate-when
there could be no contest as to which |
set of ideas should be erystalized in
10 law, but now that the views Of one
side have to fall if the ideas Of the /
other are to prevail, there is deep /
trouble for the party. If the tempo /
rary patching-up Of a truce IS to re-
suit in permanent peace between the I
wings, the country will know it in a
lew weeks, but old observers in
are very skeptical.
This session began in April and the
whole world knew that it was the in
.ention to pass new taxation mea-
sure and a new tariff bill and arrange /
'or the financing of the railroads
None of these things is within gun
shot of accomplishment after six
months have passed. Only three bills
# Importance have become law-the
Farm Loan Act, the Farmers Tariff |
Act and the act to regulate the pack
RS. The first mentioned is good leg
station. The tariff act was adver- I
Used as a great measure designed to
,nable the farmer to get more for his /
.rops. Canadian wheat today brings /
, better price in Minneapolis than /
wheat grown in the United States; all (
he farmers products have shrunk
seriously in price except cotton, which |
has responded to the shortest crop in +
he history Of the country. The pack /
RS control act was so amended at /
he dictation Of the packers them t
selves that it is useless. Senator La
Toilette drew attention to the fact
hat the important amendments made (
10 it were in the handwriting Of the /
chief attorney for the packers, who (
made the remark, well, let it pass
we have pulled it's teeth"
And this is the history Of one mea-