Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-18
A REACTIONARY
ADMINISTRATIONS.

COME one defined a bourbon as
~ a man who never learned any
thing and never fogot anything
Certainly the present administra-
ton at Washington deserves the
title. It seems to have learned
nothing from the last election that
nearly wiped out its majority in
both houses Of congress, and 1t is
now engaged in desperate efforts
to pass legislation vetoed by the
people at the late election before
they lose their temporary major
ity. The severe accommodation OF
Senator LaFollette on. this score
the other day in the senate is war
ranted. Senator Borah says the re-
publican party seems determined
to commit suicide over this ship
ping subsidy bill. Our Washington
correspondent sums up the doings
Of the present congress now near
it's close as followss
From the very beginning the adj
ministration program has had
nothing for the benefit OF the
farmer, although his condition has
been more serious than that OF any
other class. While the special IN
terests and profiteering corpora
tions have been paying dividends
of 800 and 400 per cent, and some
times higher, the farmer has been
bankrupt, yet the administration
has promoted and urged only legis-
lation for the benefit Of special
privilege, and none in behalf of the
farmer.
The only relief the farmers have
received was through the revival
Of the wal finance corporation, a
democratic creation, which demo-
Gratis and western progressive re-
pulicans forced the administration
to accept. During the campaign
these same reactionary republicans
undertook to claim credit for the
very measure they had opposed I'M
til they were forced to adopt it in
order to save their faces.
The administration program has
had nothing for labor or for the So
luton of any industrial problem;
it has offered no means Of prevent
ing or settling strikes or rather
anticipating or solving industrial
troubles of any kind.
On the other hand when the
coast-wise shipping monopoly
wanted free Panama tolls the bill
was damned through the house.
When the always specially pro-
tected manufacturers wanted to
build a Chinese tariff wall around
the United States, the Fordney-Mc-
Cumber tariff bill, guaranteeing
extortionate and profiteering
prices, was promptly passed.
When the Wrigley chewing gum
interests, a heavy contributor to
republican campaign funds, wanted
the tax taken off chewing gum 1t
was promptly removed.
When the Sinclair oil interests, a
subsidiary of Standard Oil, wanted
to exploit the Teapot dome naval
oil in Wyoming, a secret
lease of the property was imne-
diately granted, thus revoking the
conservation policies of both DEM
ocratic and republican admiRistra-
lions Of recent years, and adhering
to the policy of promoting and fos-
tering only private interests.
And now comes a shipping mon
opoly asking for a huge bonus. a
huge loan, exemption from taxation
and other special privileges, and
the administration with the aid OF
a flock of the Iamest of lame ducks
forces the bill through the house
under a special rule amounting to a
gag.
Although the reactionary repub-
licans are claiming a majority OF
two in the senate for the passage
of the ship bonus bill, out Of a
normal majority Of "a, there is bet
ter reason to believe that the bill
either will be defeated or will fail
TO reach a vote in the senate at the
short session of congress. Of
course, all of the lame ducks among
the republican senators can be
counted on to support it, just as it
was supported by the lame ducks
of the house, but the people gener-
ally are opposed to it and are ex-
pected to make their opposition
vocal. r
The farmers have already voiced
their opposition. Labor is already