The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-05-24
Watson Defends
Harding Leadership
Continued from Page l

continued ITOlH L age L
and unsettling of financial condi-
tons now stand and jeer at us be-
cause in fourteen months we have
not overcome all the evil they pro
duced in eight years"
I'VE have not yet accomplished
all that we have set out to do,
he continued. 1--WE have not cur
ed all the ills and corrected all
the mistakes and overcome all the
evils of eight years of democratic
misrule, but certainly we have
taken long strides in the right di-
rection and assuredly if the repub-
lican party cannot adjust matters
what hope is there in turning to
the organization that caused all
the disaster in the beginning.
Reduction of taxes and appro-
priations, reorganization of the
shipping board, agricultural relief,
the tariff bill and diplomacy of
the present administration were
emphasized by Senator Watson.
"This administration does not
need an apologist," said Senator
Watson. mo administration ever
before came into power confront
ing such problems of such COM
plexity and difficulty as those
which We're inherited by President
Harding and the republican con-
gress."
President Harding's call for the
Arms Conference, he declared,
was "the largest step toward in
ternational peace with justice the
world has known in all its his
tory, and the whole world, he
said, applauded the results, the
four power treaty, the Senator
said, brought understanding and
assurance for peace.
Defamation of the invitation to
the Genoa Conference also
was commended by Mr.. Watson
who said it was a political and not
an economic conference.
! In domestic affairs, Senator
Watson said the Harding admin
istratlon stood for "full freedom
/ in business and d recognition Of
the larger right of the individual
to control and operate his own
business affairs"
"The new freedom preached by
| Woodrow Wilson was a grotesque
travesty on the very name he
added, while the acknowledgements
Of business under Harding is an
accomplished fact"
/ Senator Watson said there
could not be any great reduction
in taxes for decade or more. but
be contended the republican party
had kept its platform pledge to
reduce taxes as far as possible
consistent with government needs.
l This in part, was possible, he said,
by dismissal Of more than 100000
government employees in the last
two years.
Incidentally discussing civil ser
vice, Senator Watson said he
stood for it as applied to many
government activities but he de-
clared it should not be used to
"Shelter men opposed to the poll
cy of the administration and who
secretly connive to overthrow
it"
"They have not been getting rid
of democrats in some of the de-
partments fast enough to suit
me-" he added. 81 have been and
am opposed 10 putting postmaS-
tiers under civil service"
The pending tariff bill, which
he helped draft, was a prominent
subject of Senator Watsons ad-
dress, it would do much he said
to restore business and prosperity,
Protector, he added, had been a
proven policy.
"This tariff" he added, "is not
being made to please free ll..ders.
We did not formulate it to suit
importers
The Fordney Emergency tariff
law, the Senator asserted, had
Saved the wool and sheep indus
try 4 and been of I'M
mense value to the dairy interests
and to the great
benefit of the farmer"