The Columbia evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-02
Harding Keeps Secret.

From the NeU York World.
The railroad managers who are resist
ing the efforts Of the Administration Il
settle the strike Of the shopmen on AM
terms less than unconditional surrendel
can point to the Republican nationa
platform Of 1920 as a complete justifica
ton for their course. They are carrying
out the policies that the Republican Con
vention defined at Chicago when it said
We are opposed to Government
ownership and operation or employee
operation Of the railroads.
This plank was inserted in the plat
form to please the railroad managers
the railroad bankers and the railroad
stockholders. All these elements sub.
scribed Literally to the Harding cam
psign fund and naturally they insist that
the terms Of the bargain must be kept.
MIR. Harding is now asking them to
submit 10 employee operation Of the rail-
roads by restoring the seniority rights OF
the strikers in case they return to work.
The Eastern roads refuse. They will sur
render nothing that was awarded to them
in the Republican national platform and
they demand that the Administration in
turn use all its authority to sustain the
decision Of the Labor Board.
Even the Attorney Generals opinion
that the President has power to seize the
railroads leaves them undisturbed. Here
again they not only have the pledge Of
the Republican Party back Of them but
they have the impressive record of the
party in its savage attacks on Mr.. Wilson
and the wartime operation Of the rail-
roads by the Government.
Mr.. Harding is trying to repudiate
what Thomas c. Plat referred to as the
moral obligation because Of the pressure
OF public opinion on the Administration;
yet in this matter it is the railroad man.
ayers who represent the clearly expressed
principles Of Mr.. Harding's party. They
are the l00-per-ceni, red-blooded he-man
who are ready to be consist
ent at any cost, regardless Of the conse-
quences.
MIR. Harding used to think that gov
ernment after all, is a very simple mat
ter. He has discovered in the last wear
Thai it is anything but a simple matter
and that it cannot be administered a,
ill on the basis of the platform pledges
md the campaign promises Of his party.
What is very simple matter is not gov
srnment but the organization of the dem
igogic and partisan attacks on the ad- /
Of government. That is /
what deceived Mr. Harding in 1920. 1t
seemed so easy then TO ignore actual con-
iitions and assail Mr.. Wilson that he !
ook it for granted that nothing was nee
'ssary except to avoid doing anything
hat Mr.. Wilson had done. Then gov
'rnment would be very simple and every
hing would be for the best in the best
'ossible Of worlds.
The Republicans found no difficulty
n carrying an election by stirring up
'opular discomfort against Mr.. Wilson
1 the end Of war that had destroyed
ne economic equilibrium Of the world;
'ut they are finding it impossible to ad-
Minister government on the basis of their
wn record, and that is what all the
-oubie is about in Washington. II would
e interesting to know that Warren C.
iarding, in the light Of his own personal
experience, thinks about it. Could the /
iepublican majority in Congress survive