The New York herald., 1922-12-04
The Congress Insurgent Plan.

The program of the Congress in
surgent bloc contains some sense,
some nonsense and some pure bunk.
OF the seven principal objects at
which the insurgents say they aim the
most important is the one to provide
a better bank credit system for the
farmers, with a marketing organiza-
tion and other up to date economic
arrangements. This is distinctly good.
But it was good when THE NEW YORK
thing many months ago, and it is
good as the legislative program
already set in motion by the Har-
ding Administration and supported
by the regular leadership of the
United States Senate and the House
of Representatives.
So in respect of this benefit for the
agricultural industry and for the
whole country. because the agrieul-
tural industry is the very founda-
tion of the country. the insurgent
bloc wants to do the very thing that
is now by way of being done.
Again, there is no question that
provision should be made for having
q newly elected Congress get into ac-
tion in regular session sooner than it
now does or can do. Under the pres
ent system the American people elect
a Congress early in November to do
something they want done. But that
Congress does not come into exist
ence until four months later, on the
fourth of March following the cleo
tion. Even then, unless it is called
into special session by the President,
1t does not assemble for about thir-
election to do what It was elected
to do.
The insurgent bloc is right to say
that when the national voters have
elected a Congress to do certain
things this Congress should get on
the Job promptly, as Parliament does
in Great Britain and as most ma
tional legislative bodies do the world
over. And IL will be to the credit of
the insurgent bloc If ii definitely
starts the amendatory legislation
necessary to bring about such a
change.
But at that the insurgents will
have made no new discovery as to
this matter and will have put no
new proposal before the country.
Newspapers and public men of all
political convictions and shadings of
conviction have been urging this
change for years. 1t has merely been
case OF an admittedly desirable snd
ultimately necessary thing that has
been allowed to drift along while
other things more urgent or more
talked about were getting attention
and action.
Those are the obviously good fea-
lures of the insurgent program.
although neither novel nor sensa-
tfonal. When II comes to the rest of
the program it is pretty much made
up OF high sounding but more or less
meaningless words or ii is sham.
&, Such is the declaration for IAN
amendment Of the tax laws so that
the rich will have to carry their fair
share OF the burden and pay proper
proportion OF the costs OF Govern
ment."
II this means anything it means
that the insurgents imagine that in
dustry and business and other big
earners are paying only small part
OF the taxes collected to conduct the
Government. But If they do not
know that as a matter of fact the
preponderating mass of all the taxes
that 20 into the national Treasury
10 collected directly from industry
ana business and the large incomes
they do not know anything at all
about the tax facts and tax condi-
tions of the country
And IL they do not know that IL
was the excessive taxes on industry
and business and surplus income that
ologged the wheels of production and
threw millions of workers out of
employment two years ago they IRE
totally ignorant OF the recent 20
nomic history Of their country
And IL they do not know that fhe
tax that kills incentive, activity Ind
production stops the Development of
the country and empties the pocllts
of the people they are not safe faw-
makers for the people; they are
deadly dangerous lawpakers pr the
people.
As for the insurs\ blofs de-