Iron County register., 1922-03-16
Washington Correspondence.
BY WALLACE BAssFoRD.

has but twelve more months of exist
ence; If its latter half leaves no better
impression on the country than its
first, then certain it is that it will go
down in history as one of the big dis
appointments, disheartening to it's
closest friends and even to it's own
membership. Few, if any, attempt to
defend Congress that has become
the butt of the jokesmiths on the
stage ard in the funny papers. Its
efforts--if they can be called such
to relieve the distress of the country
might become tragic If it were not
for the saving sense of humor pos
sessed by the Americanp people. Every
one laughs when Abe Martin says
that business is picking up-he quotes
the proprietor of the five and ten
cent store as saying he has sold more
checker boards in the last year than
during all of Wilson's administration.
And the Washington theatre rings
with applause when Will Rogers, the
come dian, tells of the recent fire on
the roof of the Treasury-how it stop
ped when it had burned down to
where the money was, for the Ad-
mInistration had beat the fire to it.
Every test of public opinion shows
that Congress has made itself intense
ly unpopular. If anyone had prophesi-
ed this outcome when Harding and
the big Republican majority in Con-
gress came in bat year ago he would
have been laughed at, but the public
has been treated to succession OF
delays and party splits on important
matters, with increasing bewilder-
ment and helplessness. Every Repnb-
lican in Congress seems to be party
unto himself, with the exception of a
few clear headed men like jim Mann
who might bring some order out of
this chaos had his ungrateful party
given him the place he had won, the
Speakership, but it went to one who
admits his own utter inability and
that of his party.
And yet, every cloud is said to have
its silver lining, and we can reflect
with joy that this Congress has only
twelve months naFe to lipe.-
Still fiddling with the tariff, the two
committees in charge of such legis-
lation in House and Senate send
acrimonious messages back and forth
to each other while business twiddles
its thumbs and waits and waits, not
even being able to guess what to do in
the circumstances. The store shelves
remain untitled, the factories idle, the
ships motionless. These committees
not satisfied with quarreling from one
end of the Capitol to the other, have
equally bitter quarrels among them
selves. And at the White House it il
not different. The President and the
National Chairman, Adams, have beer
at daggers' points for weeks over the
appointment of successor to Post
master General Hays, the filing o
the vacancy as Secretary of the Ma
tional Committee, and patronage gen
orally.
Speaking of Hays recalls what Mani
said of him in the House the othe
day. His remarks make one wonde
what sort of bargain the Movie Trus
got when it agreed to pay Hays $3.50,
900 per year as sort of Field Mar
shal. Mann said in the course of
debate: "He has not been worth
five-cent piece since he has bee
Postmaster General. He does no
know anything about the Post Ofic
Departments; and, for one, Lam might
glad he is getting out of it. His onl
object has been to be extravagant i
his own personal relations with th
Government. Long distance tele
phoning is his main long suit"
The bonus question, like the cotfi
OF Mohammed, remains suspended be
tween heaven and earth. When Hare
ing asked Congress to adopt bonr
legislation and to provide sales-ta
to pay the bill, he knew the Agricu
tural Conference which had just bee
held in Washington passed resol'
tion saying: "We positively al
earnestly protest against any col
sumption, or sales. or manufacturer
tax, or any other tax which shifts Il
burden onto those least able to pa
onto the necessities Of life. 1t b
proved disappointing financially al
unjust socially wherever tried" Th
resolution passed unanimously in
farm conference which Harding ca
ed, then within less than three wee
be asked Congress to pass sales-ta
Why? Two reasons: He knew I
Farm Bloc was against the tax a
that Labor was emphatically on reco
against it, and he could tell the Anne
lean Legion he was for the bonus b
that he was blocked by this oppo