The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-28
REPUBLICANS
SEE MENACE
IN WALKOUTS
Face Opposition of Factions
However Troubles May Be
Settled-Blamed For Busi-
ness Halt.
JUDGE ADMINISTRATION
BY MARK SULLIVAN

BY MARK SULLIVAN
WASHINGTON, July 2S.-Washing-
ton, including both Republicans and
Democrats. specufates daily on the
possible political consequences of the
coal and railway strikes, but does not
yet see any definite political results
ia sight
Administrations rarely go through
strikes as important as these without
being affected politically one way or
the other. But the course of the
Harding administration SO far, as re-
gard to the coal strike particularly,
has been such as not to cause any cry
stallization either of favor of antag-
onism on the part of any group con-
cerned.
So far as there is any alignment at
ALL 1t is probably in the direction Of
resentment on the part of both the
eminers and the operators.
The course which Wilson chose in
the railroad strike of 1916 was such
as to give him a degree of favor from
the railroad workers that remained
with him until the end of his public
career, and which to large extent, re-
mains with McAdoo as a political asset
to this day.
ing administration, the coal strike
broke" in such a way as not to seem
to line it up with either faction. and
not to cause either hostility on the
part of one, or favor on the part of
the other
The picture presented to the public
was that of both sides refusing the
presidents proposal of arbitration.
This averted the necessity of the ad-
ministration seeming to line up on the
side Of willing party against an un-
willing one.
RooseveIts Case
In Roosevelt's administration, the
miners accepted Rooseyelt's proposal
and the operators refused. The result
was that Roosevelt seemed to be
standing with the miners against the
mine owners. That result had conse-
quences that lasted to the end of
Roosevelts life. 1t was the initial cpl
sode of that phase of Roosevelt's car
eer, which brought to him the gen.
eral support and friendliness of labor,
and caused him to be for a period,
the object of the detestation of all
those sections of public opinion which
would naturally sympathize with the
mine owners.
AIIuOuSu lu6 I1dTulUS duuuIHlSITd
ton. so far, both in fact and in seem
ing, has pursued a course which has
} not caused either side to charge il
with favor towards the other, it is by
no means free from political menace
of the most serious kind. The admin
istration will be judged by the public
both as to its conduct at each step o.
the controversy and also in the ent
tn itC nrxiY1 Tl,f
strike as a whole
Prosperity Wane Factor
The slowing up of prosperity as /;
result of the strike would naturally
tend to affect adversely the popular
ity of any administration and an.
party in power. 1t is the fear of thi
unpopularity that often leads an ad
ministration to take steps which arr
essentially unsound for the sake of po
litical expediency. The Republican
have been counting confidentially OF
steadily increasing prosperity as on,
of the chief of their assets in the com
ing congressional election. As Repuh
lican leaders up to a few weeks agt
were in the habit of expressing it, "B,
election day in November there won
be an unemployed man in the coun
try"
Obviously, if the strike continues
with a condition in which we have a
most a wartime status of rationin
fuel and railroad facilities, there vii
be by November not business prosper
ity but business distress. Neverthc
less, in this as in all other respects
the Republicans are the beneficiar
of the fact that the Democrats ar
not organized TO take advantage 0
the luck which, with increasing stead
ness, blows their way.
Democrat Coup Unlikely
A AS things stand today. it is Difficult
10 imagine the Democrats being abb
to take advantage of any combinatio
of circumstances to the extent of car
turing control of the next congress.
is as certain as anything can be tha
the Republicans will suffer seriou
losses, but those would have to b
phenomenal--in fact, in the nature {
an earthquake-to reduce the Repui
licans to minority.
The Republicans now have almo;
two members of the lower house
the Democrats one. The Republica
majority is 168 in total of 432-tha
is, 800 Republicans to 132 Democrat
Under any circumstances. strike or n
strike. this Republican majority wa
destined to be reduced to less tha
half what it now is. But it woul
take something almost unprecedente
in politics to reduce the Republican
70 a copyright. 1922, b