The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-03-13

!
On BOnus-Showdown ON Legislative
Leadership Near.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
| Especial Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1922.
! WASHINGTON, March Is. The
showdown in leadership between Presi-
dent Harding and congress has come
Hints from st. Augustine correspond
ents that the President took a trip to
Florida at this critical moment in af-
fairs of state for reasons other than
needed rest are confirmed by develop
ments in the national capitol itself.
Mr.. Harding isn't the type of man
who would have an open break with the
leaders in congress. He doesn't like
fbluster and political fireworks But the
truth OF the situation is gradually COM
ing out-he is getting weary of the es-
| innate which certain leaders in congress
are placing upon his leadership.
There is reason to believe that the
President isn't at all happy about the
persistence of Representative Fordney
chairman of the ways and means COM
mlttee, IN pushing to the front propos-
ais that may let congress out of its di-
y
tasteful action on the head of the party
/ itself
Mr.. Harding is sorry he committed
himself to the principle of a bonus but
ne means to go through with it just the
same. What he cannot understand is
why house leaders insist upon trying
what appears to him to be impossible
schemes for the raising of the money
The President is in favor of the sales
tax for many reasons. He believes it
Will easily collect the money for the
bonus and he thinks it may get a trial
sufficient to prove 90 the country that
sales tax would be a good substitute
for most all forms of taxation.
F'ordney Old Offender
The difficulties between the President
and Mr.. Fordney are by no means of re-
cent origin. They began with the start
OF the administration itself. Mr. Ford
ney insisted ON pushing the tariff issue
10 the fore at a time when the executive
thought il was wiser to defer action
Similar embarrassment rose with the
tax bill carefully framed at the execu-
tive end of the avenue by Secretary
Mellon and his experts The treasury
made a tax bin that wouldn't mean q
deficit. Mr. Fordney. much against the
wish of the President. re-wrote the bill
and waved aside the argument that it,
provided a deficit by saying the deficit
was a negligible one.
Nevertheless, President Harding in
has address to congress. publicly eN-
pressed his disapprOyal of the revenue
law and indicated that he wanted changes
at the earliest possible moment Again
and again leaders have come from con-
gress to talk with the President in the
hope that he will help them pull politi-
cal chestnutS out of the fire or that he
will take stand which will mean in
creased instead of decreased actions All
. Tho .rNsa
effect that the government cannot stand
bonus at this time unless the taxpay- |
ers want additional levieS made upon
them through sales tax have been |
swept aside as merely argumentative by |
leaders IN congress. The expectation has |
been that congress could go ahead and |
pass whatever bill it. wished and the 1
President would be bound to approve Of |
it.
Doesn't Like Idea of WaVering.
When Mr.. Harding announced that he |
was not in favor of the present bill, !
men on Capitol Hill said. "Oh, he will /
come around TO it, all right, let's 90 I
ahead and pass it This impression
OF a wavering executive was carried to
the President. who has been unable to
conceal his disappointment that such an
idea about him should prevail in con- !
gress. Stirred by these reports Mr. 4
Harding decided to stand pat and let
congress take tull responsibility for what 4
happens next, politically or otherwise.
The same situation exists with refer
encc to the treaties The President feels I
he and Secretary Hughes din the best
they could with an international COM
plication of an acute character. The
price of ending the Anglo-Japanese alli-
ance was a four-power treaty. The
President and his advisers think it was
good diplomacy to get rid of the Anglo
japanese alliance and substitute what
appears to them as harmless Horsepower
pact.
The President has been told the treat
les are in danger of defeat. He re-
fuses to lobby for the treaties or to try
to coerce congress. If congress adopted
reservations that do not nullify the pact
itself, Mr.. Harding will accept them
lie doesn't want to be around while the
dickering is going on if he can help it.
The next two weeks will see the fate of
the treaties decided and the bonus meas
ure transferred TO the senate. Mr..
Il