The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-12-22

ton for the benefit of special privilege,
and none in behalf of the farmer.
The only relief the farmers have re-
,eived was through the revival of the
War Finance Corporation, Demo-
cratic creation, which Democrats and
western Progressive II Republicans
forced the administration to accept.
During the campaign these same re-
dictionary Republicans undertook to
claim credit for the very measure
they had opposed until they weer
forced to adopt it in order to save
their faces.
The administration program has
had nothing for labor or for the So
luton of any industrial problem; it
has offered no means of preventing
or settling strikes or rather antici-
pating or solving industrial troubles
of any kind.
On the other hand, when the coast
wise shipping monopoly wanter free
Panama tolls the bill was jamfned
through the House.
When the railroads wanted access
to the treasury in addition to the huge
guarantee they are receiving under
the Esch- Cummings act, reactionary
Republican House at the bidding Of
the White House appropriated in ef-
feet $500,000,000 for the further re-
lief Of the railroads.
When the war profiteering corpor-
atoms wanted to be relieved of excess
profits taxes, the taxes were promptly
removed, and substantial reduction
made in the higher surtaxes of indi-
vidual millionaries.
When the always specially protect
ed manufacturers wanted to build a
Chinese tariff wall around the United
States, the Fordney- McC umber tariff
bill, guaranteeing extortionate and
profiteering prices, was promptly
passed.
When the Wrigley chewing gum
interests, heavy contributor to Re-
publican campaign funds, wanted the
tax taken off chewing gum, it was
promptly removed.
When the Sinclair oil interests, a
subsidy of Standard Oil, wanted to ex-
plot the, Tea Pot dome naval oil re-
serve in Wyoming, secret lease of
the property was Immediately grant
ed, thus revoking the conservation
policies of both Democratic and Re-
publican administration of recent
years, and adhering to the policy of
promoting and fostering only private
interests.
And now comes shipping monop-
oily asking for huge bonus, huge
loan, exemption from taxation and
other special privileges, and the adj
ministration with the aid Of the flock
of the lamest Of lame ducks forces
the bill through the House under a
special rule amounting to gag.
10 Although the reactionary Republic
cans are claiming majority Of two
in the Senate for the Ship Bonus bill,
out of normal majority off 4. there
is better reason to believe that the
bill either will be defeated or will fail
to reach vote in the Senate at the
short session of Congress. Of course,
all of the lame ducks among the Re-
publican Senators can be counted on
to support it, just as it was support
eed by the lame ducks of the House
but the people generally are opposed
to it and are expected to make theiI
opposition vocal. The farmers have
already voiced their opposition. La.
Dor is already against Il, and the
masses Of the people said by their
votes November that they are UNI
alterably opposed to it. Unless it is
passed at the short session it is
doomed to lasting defeat. Neither
the new House nor the new Senate
will support ii.
The reactionary administration is
on it's last legs. Whatever legislative
favors it can confer upon special in
terests must be done between now
and March a, 923. That every effort,
every pressure and every device to
overthrow the will of the people as
expressed at the polls November 7,
will be used by the administration and
the legislative "lame ducks" is made
logically certain by the entire record
of the reactionary Harding admins
tration "lame duck" Congress.
From the beginning the Harding
administration has been lame ad-
ministration; it has now degenerated
into "lame duck" administration
Richard Lithicum.