The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-06-16
WASHINGTON LETTER


to accept the verdict that the recent
Republican primaries in Illinois, In
diana and Pennsylvania, where Old
Guard reactionaries and defenders OF
the administration went down in de-
feat, were a reputation Of the Execu-
tive or his administration for the adj
ministration organs are boldly charg-
ing that the verdict was reputation
Of the Republican Congress and not OF
the administration.
The Chicago Tribune, the admins
tration organ of the Middle West, is
positively denunciatory of the work Of
the present Congress, in seeking to
shield the Executive from the conse-
quences of Old Guard defeat. 1t de-
clares that the Presidents record Is
clean and constructive, and then says:
eve can hardly say as much Of the
present Congress. If reputation is
seen in recent state primaries 1t is
reputation not of President Harding
but of Congress which has been
marked by delays, chickering's, private
interests, injustice and lack of con-
struction."
The cue given by the Chicago Tri-
bune to place all Of the blame upon
Congress and relieve the President of
his just share of the responsibility for
the defeat of the supporters of his ad-
ministration, is taken up by the Presi-
dents organ and mouthpiece, the
Washington Post, which editorially in
dorses the impassioned utterances of
the Tribune to the extent Of reprint
ing them with the added comment
that whether the voters of those
states were primarily anxious to re-
Duke Congress or not, the effect of
their vote seems to be rebuke which
Congress may heed"
After saying that "the situation in
the Senate at this moment constitutes
an indictment of the good sense of
the Republican party" the Post
charges the Republican Senate with
"making a record of absenteeism and
neglect of public business, which will
surely return to plague them" 1t
points out that with sixty Republicans
in the Senate there has not yet been
present quorum on any roll call dur
ing the tariff discussion, and asks:
"How can any Republican Senator alb
sent himself from the Senate at this
iuncture and then ask his constituents
to re-elect him on the theory that he
has done good and faithful service?
The panicky condition in Republican
affairs have reached the stage where
it is evident that Congress is to be
made the goat if the administration
mouthpieces can bring it about, other
wise why this concerted action on their
part in contrasting the record of the
President with that Of Congress III a
way that eulogizes the Executive and
condemns the Congress in language as
strong as that used by Democrats or
the general public?
This attitude upon the part of the
administration organs raises the
question whether or not the Republi-
can Congress will silently bear the
sole blame for the disaster which has
overtaken the reactionary wing of the
party, and thus admit that it is I'M
worthy to be further trusted, and at
the same time permit the President to
escape his share of the blame.
Admittedly this is a Do-Nothing
Congress, but might it not have done
something if it had had aggressive and
constructive leadership on the part of
the President?
Admittedly this is no time to try to
revise the tariff, but was it not Presi-
dent Harding who insisted that tar
if bill should be passed?
Admittedly the bonus issue and
bonus bill have been muddled, but has
not the Presidents attitude upon that
measure been shifting and uncertain
from the beginning?
Admittedly the tax bill is sad dis
appointment, but was it not an ad-
ministration tax bill, and did not the
President plead for the kind of a taS
bill the reactionaries voted for?
Admittedly the Republican Senate
reduced the dignity and standing Of
that body to its lowest level when il
seated Newberry, but was not New.
berry the Presidents close friend anc
associate, and was the seating of New
berry any greater offense in moral!
than the appointment of Nat Gold
stein or the appointment of men in
dicted with Newberry to be Fedora
District Attorneys in the state o.
Michigan?
These are some Of the questions
that will inevitably arise if the Re
publican Congress, now repudiated b!
the administration organs, including
the one supposed always to speak tn
Presidents mind, shall decide that thu
administration must bear its share O
responsibility for the reputation o
the reactionary Congress and the re
actinnarY administration.