The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1922-03-01
BACK TO OLD WAY
Would Return To The Days Of
The Conventions When The
Will OF The People Was
All But Ignored.

publican Clubs in Washington, last
Saturday, President Hardingmade a
damaging display Of his Torysm.
Only those who read wisely and keep
close observation are aware of the ex-
tent of Harding's reactionary tenden-
cies. Some who read this will recall
that he was one Of the few public men
who condoned the action of a little
group in the Baltimore Convention of
1912, who withheld the nomination
from the late Champ Clark after he
had received majority Of votes and
after he had shown in the primaries
that he was the choice of the voters.
Harding showed that he believed in
the bosses handling and controlling
conventions. He was always bitter
anti-Roosevelt man and always OPP
posed Teddy, who was a steadfast be-
lever in the people and in the pri-
mary. He condoned the action of the
convention that nominated Taft, when
everybody knew that the masses were
for Roosevelt.
Students Of politics understand that
an infallible test of a public mans at
titude on the great principles of gov
eminent is found in the nominating
method which he favors. Those who
believe in progressive democracy con-
denim the old convention system, with
all of it's manipulation, trickery and
fraud. President Harding takes his
stand with those who still believe in
the bosssm of few leaders, who die
tate policies and candidates. In the
address mentioned, President Harding
said: 81 would rather trust the dec
laration of a party, expressing the
conscience of its membership in a rep
resentative convention, looking for
ward to successful appeal to the
conscience and convictions of the
country, than | would to the ephem-
eral whims of passing moments in
public life | wish | dared-I WILL
SAY TT CRAVE THE RETURN
OF INTELLIGENT CONVENTIONS.
l had rather have men appeal for pop
ular support on the pronouncements
of party conventions, than to have the
appeal Of the individual for his par
ticular locality"
OF course President Harding had a
reason for distaste for primaries-he
submitted his candidacy to the people
in the primaries, and got turned down.
But few bosses, in hotel room,
made him president of the United
States. But he has raised an issue
that Is full of dynamite. People well
remember the remarks of Judge Taft
about the "whims of the majority"
and the "gusty passions of the mob.
Much water has passed under the
bridge since then--a great war has
been fought and won by the people of
the country-but there are those who
still remember that those expressions
did vast deal in the work Of putting
Taft out of the White House. There
are millions in the United States who
yet believe that our government de-
rives it's just powers from the con-
sent of the governed, and they do not
propose permanently to delegate
those powers to a few bosses in
hotel room few blocks from the con-
vention hall. f ~
President Harding's remarks are
part and parcel of the plan of the re-
publican bosses to destroy the primary
system, but the people are against
them. Harding's ill-timed and I'M
wise speech will prove to be a monkey
wrench in the political machinery,
tossed there in a moment of exuber-
ance of emotional excitement.
To Shift The Blame.
1t is growing into a settled belief
among those who watch and study the
mystifying moves of big politics, that
the presidents recent utterances on
the bonus constitute a reflection of
his desire to defeat the proposition
and let the blame rest on the Farm I
Bloc, which he looks upon as being the 4
evil genius of his administration. II
is believed that he would like to place /
these men in a hole from which they |
might never be able to extricate them /
selves. When he gave it out that he
did not favor bonus legislation, unless 1
the money could be raised by sales I.
tax, he knew that the Farm Bloc is on
record as strongly opposed to such a
tax. Thus President Harding passes I
the buck" to those gentlemen, and at
the same time throws a sop to his /
Wall Street friends who want a sales I
tax to evetually take the place Of tax
es and surtaxes on incomes. In the
same breath he tells the soldier he
would like to see him get bonus, but
throws an obstacle in the way.
Some Have Fall Coming.
II is more than suspected that Pres
ident Harding would like to see lot .
Of the members Of his own party fall .
outside the breastworks in the COM
ing election fight. There are 50 many /
republicans in the house and senate
that he cannot hold the reins over
them all. II any should fall, Harding
would prefer that they be members Of .
the Farm Bloc in both the house and