Iron County register., 1922-03-30
Washington Correspondence.
BY WALLACE BAssFoRD.

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 1S-The
President has returned to the city
from his fishing, boating and golfing
trip to Florida. A great many Wash
ingtonians regret that he did not find
time to commute the sentence of the
ha!f-witted boy, McHenry, under the
death sentence here. The heart
broken mother had walked to Wash
ington from distance to ask this of
the President, but he had just left for
Florida. From all accounts Mr..
Harding had delightful time, freed
from the cares of State-his arduous
daily grind. He was the guest, on a
palatial houseboat, OF young Wash
ingtonian who was famous few years
ago for his wild dirving-a veritable
road burner. His late fathers will
created a ''spendthrift trust," but the
heir has found blow-holes in it. One
of his friends recently lost 100000
worth of choice liquors by thieves,
but the supplies on the houseboat are
said to be intact except where shrink
age was due to ''natural causes" Per-
haps hatch was left open. Danger
Gus waters for an orthodox Baptist,
down Havana-way.
The latest gossip about the Presi-
dent records him as being the possess
sor of fifty pairs of trousers, includ-
ing golf knickers. Enough to equip
centipede. Is it any wonder the Ma
tioDal Association of Tailors was SO
loud in his praise? A few more such
customers and they could cut melon.
Unfortunately, conditions in the coun-
try generally are SO bad that many
fellow would be in a sad predicament
if the pressing g-iron should happen to
betoo hot.
Every time the Republicans carry
an election in Maine they loudly an
nounce that Maine is the finest poll
tical barometer in the land-that Gas
Maine goes, so goes the country" OF
course Maine is as reliably Republi-
can as Georgia is Democratic. Every
one expects Maine to go Republican,
and when the Democrats carry elec-
tions up there it has deep signific-
ance. Four cities in the State have
elected mayors this month and all
four of them were Democrats. The
smallest majority (4501 was in SSaco,
but the Democrats got six OF the
seven wards. In Bath the majority
was four to one. Republican leaders
don't talk about it, but if four cities
in Georgia were to go Republican the
country would be informed that it in
dicated huge Republican landslide.
And it would.
There will be no bonus legislation.
While enjoying the scenery from the
houseboat in Florida the President
found means to bring Speaker Gillett
4 to his view; as result the Speaker
will not aid his Republican brethren
to put the bill through the House.
The Senate leaders announce that
they will take no action on it until
after the fall elections. They plan to
let the needy veterans wait until the
leaders can see what effect the bonus
situation will have on the voters; the
President would be glad to see a mum
ber of recalcitrant Republican Con-
gressmen defeated. He is sure he
could better control a small Repub
lican majority than the present un'
wieldly and miscellaneous collection
made up in some measure of grotesque
political accidents and misfits from
districts usually represented by sea
soned Democratic Coggressmen o
long service and proved ability.
Though the President shows mor'
backbone in standing against th'
soldiers bonus than he was supposed
to possess, he yields readily to thu
demands of the ship owners who ais
desire bonus. But they are ricl
and powerful and can reach his ear
The Wall Street Journal daily reflect
the desires of the big corporation
and the few dozens of men who ar
all-powerful in big business. 1t says
"There is no way Of passing soldiers
bonus, and if there were way tn
bonus should not be paid. In an
form it constitutes the rawest brib
ever offered to the voters, while
prostitutes patriotic service to th
level of the meanest panhandler. Br
President Harding's program fe
building upa merchant marine willal
pealas sound to all butthe demagogu'
The money thus used to subsdiz
shipping would be in the nature of
national defenses' The President al
curately reflects the mind Of Wa
street. tits still true, as when Isra
roamed the valley of the Jordan, th
ssthe OK knoweth his owner, and Il
ass his masters crib"
0t