The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-03-30

tSpecldl Despalch 20 Inc helOfmef.D
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, March 3O-Presi-
dent Harding will not make any stump
speeches in the congressional elections
but will write stump letters or
rather letters that will be used on the
stump.
The announcement that the President
planned to keep out of the fall cam
paign must not be taken too literally,
in the opinion of members of congress,
many of whom were stirred up yester-
day by reports that they were to be
abandoned by the leader of their party
to shift for themselves.
What Mr.. Harding told some of his
friends was that he didn't think the
chief executive should go out on the
stump for congress. He is mindful. of
course. of the unfortunate Interpretation
which was placed upon President VIII
sons appeal for a Democratic congress
/ in November, 1918 when the war was
| drawing tO close and he does not in
tend to issue any such prOnouncement.
Members of congress say. however
/ that they see no objection to the writ
/ ing of letter by President Harding to
someone like Simeon ID. FeSS. chairman
/ of the Republican congressional commit
/ tee. writing his admiration for the
| achievements of congress and congratu-
/ lating congress upon what it viii have
done by the time the campaign opens.
! Such a letter. il is pointed out, could
be used on the stump to good advantage.
/ Individual representatives and senator's
/ are expecting letters from Mr.. Harding
| addressed to them or to some prominent
constituent answering the usual inquir-
les as to the Presidents appraisal of an
| individuals work in congress. 1t Is diff
| fcult for a president to avoid answering
| such a letter. with the statement that
! Mr.. SO-and-So has been a staunch sup
| porter of the Republican administration
| and as the nominee Of his party Is en-
I titled TO party support
/ Others Have Done 1t.
All recent observation-disclosures. Taft
/ and RoOsevelt-have written such let
ters of endorsement and there are indi-
cations from the White House that the
/ practice will not be discontinued. The
usual thing will be done-that's the way
/ high administration officials explain
/ Mr.. Hardng's attitude. The only sig
| niticancc To be attached thus far to the
| White House announcement of policy ~
/ that formal appeal to the country to
/ elect a Republican congress win be
! omitted and there viii be no stump
speaking by the chief executive. Nor
will there be any Intervention in the
| congressional primaries. Mr.. Wilson
/ threw his support TO Democratic candi-
/ dates in the primaries in Georgia and
/ Mississippi and Alabama just before the
/ 1918 campaign and made an open fight
/ against men. who had opposed his pol
/ icics. Mr.. Harding seems to think that
was a mistake and viii not even oppose
some of the Republican senators who
| have fought him at every turn in this
congress.
Is Deeply Concerned.
The President is. of course. deeply
concerned in the outcome of the con
gresSional elections. To lose congress
in the middle of his term, or even to
lose control of the house. would be
looked upon as a reputation of the
party and augur i'll for 1921. That has
been the political experience of the
past Mr.. Taft lost the house in 1910
and found himself powerless in the last
two years of his administration just as
did Mr.. Wilson after he had lost both
houses in 1918.
The extent of Mr.. Harding's partici-
patton in the fall campaign by letter
writing and public statements will de
pend upon circumstances, but it il au-
thOritatively stated that his decision to
keep off the stump must not be mis-
construed as q forerunner of passive ST
lence. His course, it is suggested in
stead, will be one of dignihed alertncsS