Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-03-01
THINK HARDING
SEEKS TO PASS
BUCK ON BONUS
Observes Hint President Will
Attempt to Blame Farm
Bloc = y
BY WALLACE BAssFoRD.

BY WALLACE BASSFORD.
WASHINGTON, D. C., March lit is
growing into settled belief among those
who watch and study the mystifying
moves Of big politics the Presidents re-
cent utterances on the "bonus' constitute
reflection of his share to defeat the
proposition and to let the blame rest on
the farm bloc, which he looks upon as
the evil genius of his Administration. It
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 1t out that he did
not favor bonus legislation unless the
money gould be raised by a sales tax, he
knew that the farm bloc is on record as
strongly opposed to such a tax. Thus
Harding "passes the buck to those gen
tlemen and at the same time throws a sop
to his Wall Street friends who wish a
sales tax TO eventually take The p
of taxes 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.
1t is more than suspected the President
would like to see a lot Of" members Of
his own party fall outside the breast
works in the coming election fight. There
are so many Republicans in the House
and Senate he can't handle them, and II
any fall he would prefer that they be
members Of the farm "bloc" in both
House and Senate. OF course It is well
known, the Democrats are getting to-
gether a most militant organization for
the purpose Of causing an utter disap-
pearance of this unwieIdy condition. One
of the big Republicans told a newspaper
man the other day that the leaders Of
his party were hopeful that the majority
OF 169 in the House could be reduced
to thirty or forty without starting an
avalanche that would wipe out the ma
Jority completely. They would like to
have Congress that could be controlled
by few leaders but It is a dangerous
time to try the tactics thought Of
While addressing the League Of Re
publican Clubs in Washington last at
urday the President made a dana ging
display OF his Toryism. Only those who
read widely and keep close observation
are aware Of the extent Of Hardings
reactionary tendencies. Some who read
this viii recall he was one Of the few
public men who condoned the action Of
a little group in the Baltimore conven-
ton OF 1912 who withheld the nomina-
from Champ Clark after he had received
a majority Of votes and after he nad =.
shown in the primaries that he was the
choice OF the voters. Harding showed
then that he believed in the bosses
handling and controlling conventions. He
was always a bitter anti Roosevelt man
and always opposed Teddy, who believed
IN the people and the primary. Re con-
doned the action of the convention that
nominated Taft when everyone knew the
masses OF the party wanted Roosevelt.
Students Of politics understand that an
infalible test of public mans at+t..--t.s
on the great principles OF government is
found in the nominating method system
with all Its manipulation, trickery and
fraud. President Harding takes his
stand with those who still believe in
the bossism Of a few leaders. who die
tate policies and candidates. In the ad-
dress mentioned the President said: u
would rather trust the declaration Of a
party, expressing the conscience Of it's
membership in a representative conyen-
ton. looking forward to a successful ap-
peal to the conscience and convictions of
the country, than I would to the ephem-
eral whims of passing moments in pub
lie life I wish I dared-I will say it
y crave the return Of intelligent con-
venhons I had rather have men appeal .
for popular support on the pronounce
mems UL party conVSHtlOns, uJteElng
their convictions, than to have the ap-
peal of the individual for his particular
locality"
OF course the President had, a reason
for distaste for primaries-he submitted
his candidacy to the people in the pri-
maries and got turned down, but a few
bosses, in a hotel room, made him Presi-
dent Of the United States But he has
raised an issue that is fun Of dynamite
People remember Taft's remarks about
"the whims OF the majority" and the
gusty passions Of the mob" Much water
has gone over the wheels since then
a great war has been fought and won
by the people Of this country, but there
are those who remember that those ex-
pressions did a vast deal in the work
Of putting Taft out Of the White House.
Millions still believe that our Government
derives its just powers from the con-
sent of the governed. and they don't
propose to permanently delegate those
powers TO a few bosses in a hotel room
some blocks from the convention hall