The labor world., 1922-03-04
DOES HARDING 10 p 70 DEFEAT
BONUS AnDbL AmE FARM Bloc?
BY WALLACE BASSFORD. a
Especial News Corresponden.)

BY WALLACE BAssFORD,> AZ
Especial News Corresponden.1 =
Washington. D., c.. March 1T
Is growing into settled belief among
those who watch and study the mys-
tifying moves Of big politics that the
presidents recent futterances on the
bonus constitute reflection of his
desire to defeat the proposition and
to let the blame rest on the Farm
Bloc, which. he looks upon as being
the evil genius of his admintstra-
ton.
It, is believed. that he would like
which they might never be, able, to
'extricate themselves. When he gave
it out that he did not favor bonus
legislation unless the money could
be raised bv 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
gentlemen and at the same time
throws sop to his Wall Street
AAAO4AuS WIN want 9dANS toA ~
eventually take the place Of taxes
and surtaxes on incoWex :, In the
same breath he tells the soldier he
would like to see him get q bonus
but throws an obstacle in the way.
1t. is more than SUSPECTED that the
president would like to see q lot of
members Of his own party fall out
side the bfeastworks in the coming
election fight. There are so many Re-
publicans in the house and senate
that he can't handle them, and If
any fall he would prefer that they
be members of the Farm Bloc in
both house and senate~ OF course it
is we'll known that the Democrats
are getting together a most militant
organization for the purpose of caus-
ing an utter disappearance Of this
unwieldv 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 16s In the house
could be reduced go or 40 without
starting an avalanche that would
wipe out the majority completely.
They would like to have a. congress
that could be controlled by a.. few
leaders. but it is dangerous time
to try the tactics thought of. AS far
as I'm partial observers, see at this
time. the slaughter among. Repub-
licans of both house end senate will
be great. but that the. f arm Bloc
will suffer the least. The, Democrats
say the Republicans are in for the
worst trimming they have had in 80
years. :,.:
While addressing the League of
Republican clubs in washington last
Saturday the president made a dam
aging display of his T6ryism. Only
those who read widely and keep close
observation are aware of the extent
of Hardings reactionary tendencies.
Some who read this will recall that
he was one of the few public men
who ,condoned thelaction of little
group in the Baltimore convention
ofe1 912 who withheld the nomination
from Champ Clark: after he had re-
ceived a majority of votes and after
he had shown in the primaries that
he was the choice .of the voters.
Harding showed then that he. be-
lieved in the bosses handling and
controlling conventions. He- was al
wavs a bitter anti Roosevelt n,AY,
and always opposed, eddy, who be-
lieved in the neop1e and the prl-
mary. He condoued the action or 1ne
convention that nominated Taft when
everyone knew the, masses of the
party wanted Roosevelt =
Students of politics understand that
an infallible test. of q public mans
attitude on the. great principles of
government is found in the nominat-
ing method which he favors. Those
who believe in progressive democracy
condemn the old. convention system
with all its manipulation. trickery
and fraud. President, Harding takes
his stand with those. who still be-
lieve in the bossism:: of a few lead
ers, who dictate policies and candi-
dates.
In the address mentioned the
president said: Il would rather trust
sthe declaration OF :a>party. express
ing the conscience. Of its member
ship in a. representative convention,
looking forward to a successful ap-
peal to the conscience and convic-
tions Of the county. than L would
to the ephermeral whims of passing
moments in. public life. I, wish I
dared-I will say it, crave the re-
turn of intelligent conventions. I
had rather have men appeal for pop
u1ar support. On the pronounce
ments of party conventions, uttering
their convictions, than. to have the
appeal OF the individual for his par
| ticular locality" ,,.au =. ..
OF course the president: had a rea.
SON for distaste for 5pnimaries-he
submitted his candidacy Ito the peo-
pie. in the primaries and got turned
down, but a few bosses, in a hotel
room, made him president of the
United States, Bus he has raised an
issue that IS full Of dynamite. Peo-
pie remember Taft's remarks about
''the whims Of the majority and
"the gusty passions of the mob:
Much water has gone over the
wheel since. tn ZEN a. great war has
been fought and won by the, people
of this country, but t1lere, are those
who remember that those expires.
sions did a vast deal in <the work OF
putting Taft out of the White House
Millions still believe that our gov.
ernment derives its Just po>, ers from