The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-07-01
BY DAVID LAWRENCE


Especial Despatch to The Reformer)
Copyright 1922
WASHINGTON, July 1.-The admin
| istration doesn't know whether to be
sorry or glad over the outcome of the
Republican primaries in North Dakota
wherein Senator McCumber. chairman
OF the finance committee. leader of the
light Tor the bonus and one of the gem
eral managers of the farm bloc move
ment, appears to have been beoten nv
Lyon Frazier, former governor and rodi-
cal chieftaln of the Non-Partisan league.
The question is impersonal for Mr..
MeCumber himself is well liked. His
political equation, however. excites no
great enthusiasm at the executive end Of
fehhSyiNanla avenue for AIR. McCumber
has showed the bonus bill forward and
othefWlSe put crlmp in administration
plans in the senate 1t was with CON.
siderable trepidati0n that the announce
ment of Mr.. McCumber's elevation IA
the craftsmanship of thu all-pOwerfuI
senate finance committee was received
alter Mr.. penrOse's death
1t is known, for instance. that Mr.
AlcCumber wanted to sidetrack the far
m and give the bonus bill right of way.
lie has been useful to the Republican
administration but the favorita for
chairman was Reed Smoot of Utah who
viii succeed Mr.. McCumber because he
IS next in length of service and takes the
craftsmanship automatically after March
!, next, on the rule of seniority.
administration Keeps Quiet
Naturally the administration win not
say much about Mr. McCumber's down
tail. He IS to be chairman of the sen.
| ate finance committee for the remainder
| OF tins session of congress and the whole
OF the short session from December to
March next. And, besides, il isn't Gus,
tomary for the administration of Mr.
Harding to make comments on primary
electlons-the President himself has
! warned the press that he is not partici-
| patlng IN primary contests or saving any
thing about their results.
While the elevation of Reed Smoot
| viii mean a return to the helm Of a marty
man of the old school, tried and faith
| ful servant of Republican doctrine ana
an intimate friend of Mr.. Harding. the
| defeat of Mr. McCumber has aspects en-
trely apart from the effect on the sen
ate committee Craftsmanship. Progress
| slves who have insisted that the swing
was in their direction as, opposed to
pltraeonseryatiSIn, machine politics and
Stand-pattism, naturally hail the result
IN North Dakota as a revolt against the
existing regime and rs a sign of the no
illcat evolution inside the Republican
| party which gave Pinchot a victory IN
PENNSYLVANIA, Beveridge a triumph in
Indiana and Brookhart his success in
Iowa.
Curious Situation
Curi0usly enough the dissatisfaction
which now and then has cropped ont
| over Mr.. McCumber's activity, either on
behalf of things agricultural or the
bonus and which was called radical
ism here in Washington. was charac-
terlZed as conservative in North Da
kota. The Non-partiSan league didn't
support AlcCumber but gave Frazier its
votes. In Washington Mr.. McCumbcr
was too radical. In North Dakota he
was not radical enough
As for the bonus issue. il is inevitable
that opponents will derive comfort out
of the defeat of one of its chief cham
pions but there is little evidence here.
at any rate. to show that the result
would have been different if Mr.. Nc.
Cumber had opposed the bonus. Mr..
McCumber's experience in politics has
been unique. He was one of the few Re
publicans who stood out for the league
Of nations till the end. The question of
foreign policy was hardly a factor in the |
present campaign. 1t was entirely a |
matter of North Dakota Interpretation Of
domestic issues As in Iowa so in North |
been a source of political danger TO the |
man in office. Mr. Frazier has been in |
North Dakota almost constantly Mr. |
McCumber has been busy in Washing |
ton. The man back home won again.