The New York herald., 1922-12-11
PRESIDENT DEMANDS
ALIBERAL COURSE IN
CONGRESS PROGRAM
Insists on Performance of
Duties to Meet Coun-
try's Needs.
HE OPPOSES REACTION
Will Try to Correct Abuses
That Were Resented
at Polls.
CUTS IN ON LA TOILETTE
Determined to Assert Full
Power of Party Leadership
-Borah to Help.
CUTS IN ON LA TOILETTE
BY LOUIS sEIBoLD.
by LOU1S SE IbOLDs
Special Dispatch to THE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
WashingtOn. ID. C.. Dec. 10.

Special Dispatch to THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington. ID. c., Dec. 10.
Political leaders in and out of Con-
gress agree that the Republican joy
ride" is over and that President Hard
ing is determined to compel the par
ticipants in it to pay for the damage
done by them to his party machine.
The President has convinced the
leaders of both the conservative and
insurgent groups in Congress that he
means to assert the full measure of
his executive and party influence to
compel the performance Of campaign
promises and greater respect for the
demands and needs of the country.
The President has supplemented the
liberal sentiments expressed in his adj
dress to Congress on Friday with dec
larations Of a more pronounced char
acter in his conversations with some
Of the Republicans whose reckless ex-
ploits provoked the resentment Of vot-
ers on November Z. The President
has not hesitated to emphasize his
conviction that important changes
must be made in the policies and
methods insisted upon by these agents
of reaction.
His Viewpoint Changed.
Senators and Representatives who
have talked with the President say he
made to them what amounts to new
confession OF faith. He has not hesi-
tated to express the opinion that no
man who enters the Presidency can
long remain reactionary. With engag-
ing frankness the President has in
formed some of his hard boiled" party
associates who refused accurately to
interpret the recent election results
that his viewpoint on matters of pub
lie concern have undergone material
and even drastic change during recent
months
His declarations In this respect have
been Of a positive character. and old
time party associates who believed the
President arbitrarily would cling to
orthodox traditions are even now spec
ulating on the probable extent of his
departure from standards which last
month were condemned by IA very
large percentage of the citizens who
combined to give him a record break
ing popular majority Of 100000 two
years ago.
Promoters Of various insurgent and
radical plans appear also to share the
Int ft>~+ II Inn xfyil ri In
elevate the tone of his party and con-
vert the reactionary leaders Of II to
more liberal doctrines. Some old
timers are amazed at the trend of his
recent thought and utterances in COM
menting on the results Of the Novem-
ber elections and in expressing his de-
termination to remove causes for pop
ular dissatisfaction then made appa-
rent.
Get First Hand Information.
Theses. men now have direct and first
hand information that 1t is the pur-
pose OF the President to correct the
most glaring abuses which provoked
the reputation of his party and to put
1t In line with the trend of popular
ambitions. M. Harding is already
credited by number Of his erstwhile
severe critics with having swept the
ground from the feet of Senator La
Follette's enterprise, which in fact
was clearly identified as a radical ven-
ture of the most extreme type.
The definite position adopted by the
President in meeting the necessities of
the agricultural problem has already
alienated the supporters Of the farm
bloc from the La Toilette venture.
Further than this some Of the men
whose support was solicited and
counted on to bring about the creation
of third party. cast in thinly
camoufiaged radical mold. have aban-
doned the La Toilette movement. This