Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-08-25
CONGRESS PLEDGE
IS NOT FULFILLED
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE BODY
HASN'T RESUMED RIeHTFuL
PLACE AS PROMISED.
HARDING HAS DONE HIS PART
President Has Tried to Persuade Con-
aress to Redeem Itself and Has
steadfastIy Refused to Try to Domi-
nate II.
Rx JAMES ?. HoRNApAY

BY JAMES P. HoRNADAY
/ Washington.-one of the oCtstand-
ing promises in the presidential cam
paign of 1920 was that If the Repub-
licaRs were successful rrA legislative
branch of the government would re-
turn to its rightful place az one of the
three coordinate branches of the gov
ernmert. This promise has not been
fulfilled. Many students of govern
ment are now asking, Can congress
come backG" President Harding has
carried out his part Of the campaign
pact. He has not only not attempted to
dominate congress, but he has In many
ways and on many occasions tried to
persuade 1t to redeem itself.
BY the end of another month the
call q the campaign viii be heard,
and aftsr the first of October 1t will
be impossible for either house to main
tain quorum. The body will do
well If 1t gets the appropriation bills
through during the short session
which win begin on the first Monday
IN December and end on the fourth
OF March. So the hopes of the pub
llclsts who have for long time been
telllng the congress that 1t should
De an independent and not q depend
ent branch of the government, are now
turning to the Slxty-elghth congress,
winch win be elected next November.
President Harding expected great
things of the new congress. One Of
the first things he did after entering
the White House was to summon 1t to
meet April IL, 1921. without attempt
ING TO dictate what it should do, he
recommended that IL reduce taxation
and revise the tariff.
One Redeeminp Feature.
That special session extended from
April IL, 1921, until November %,
1921, a total Of 227 days. The record
of that special session Is well known.
The important product was budget leg
islation, legislation 1t should be said
in fairness to everybody, that had been
enacted toward the close of the VIII
son administration, but was vetoed by
President Wilson because of techni-
cality. 1t is the one redeeming fea-
ture Of the record of this congress
The regular session which came on
December 5. 1921, has now run 243
days. At the opening of the session
President Harding submitted recon-
mendations for a comprehensive legis-
lative program.
1t is now foreseen by the Repub-
lean leaders In the two houses that 1t
Will not be possible, provided the final
decision is to 60 ahead with the tariff,
to finish the legislation great while
before election day. Some of the diff
| ferences between the bill which the
| house passed and the bill which the
senate STU pass, as has been frequent
| Iy pointed ont, are fundamental. The
conference committee will have to re-
write some portions of the bin, and
unless a new record should be set,
final agreement by the two houses af-
ter the conferees have reported win
not be speedily reached. For instance,
if the senate conference should yield
to the house on some of the funda-
lnentals-and the senate win have TO
yield on some Of them--there are SEN
ators who viii desire weeks In which
to discuss the issues thus raised.
The Republican party is divided on
the question as TO whether President
Harding is pursuing the right course
in leaving congress to its own re-
sources. Within recent months some
Of the members of the Republican ma
tional organization have insisted pri-
vately with a good deal Of vigor that
the President emulate the example set
by Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow
Wilson.
Harding Won't Interfere.
The President has turned deaf
ear to all such pleadings He has re-
peatedly pointed to the promise Of the
Republican platform Of 1920, the
promise he made in his speech Of ac-
ceptance and the argument he put
forth during his campaign, that the
legislative branch of the government
must be restored to it's rightfui place