The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-10-10
REED COMPARES
Wilson's WORK
NIIiH.H.IARDING'S
West Virginia Congressman
Challenges Democrats to
Equal Record.
.7ey Charles BROOKS SMITH

iVthSI shLhltbmHn OF neAu Oh 3 ma
ton have Committed to him and
his administration for solution
such momentous problems as were
placed upon the shoulders Of
Presidett Harding when he took
the cath Of office"
That was the statement and the
Challenge flung at the Harding
haminls tration critics. made today
ny Representative Stuart F. Reed
% the third West Virginia district
IN tie Course OF an interview
granted this correspondent by this
student member of the Lower
Branch Of the Congress.
The interview was given at the
office OF Representative Reed on
the thrd floor Of the House office
building. In the midst Of bustlins
actiyity caused by force OF
clerks at work carrying out tho
Daampaign plans OF their employer.
Here IS the Reed campaign head.
quarters in touch with every
county in the third district, with
every member Of the party organ
tzattoni in each county, and with
voters in that congressional balli-
wick by the thousands. In a few
days he will be out in his district,
started on his personal canvass,
He IS a public speaker OF great
ability. The public flock TO hear
hin. He Is always. assured Of a
good audience wherever he Is bill
I'd to deliver q speech.
IN support Of the argument that
the statement and challenge ut.
tered by Representative Reed
prima facially calls for the third
district congressman explained
that q brief review Of tho first
sixteen months Of Wilson and
Harding administrations was nee
essaTy to carry forward to its ma.
iural climax the line Of discus
sion he had in, mind TO adhere to.
u shall try to mako Il very BRIEF
he said, ihalf-apologetically.
sInsthe first place" he contlns
ped. at seems necessary to recall
10 mind that when President WIN.
son and a Democratic Congress
took charge Of the government IL
was the richest and most prosper.
Gus nation on tho face OF the
earth. Its Indebtedness was less
thanta billion dollars and It's bonds
were above par. AT the close II
avery day the sun threw Its part
iftg CLEANS over a country with
1000 more population and s23,001,-
900 more wealth tina nit had on
tlle day previous. Eight million OF
horers were ut work, aud the
SSbitetls States with only 8 per cent
~ the worlds population and c
per cent of It's area. had com.
i7nn;ee two and a half times great.
en- thdn that Of the rest of the en-.
Tire world The leading govern
iiients OF Europe had not been
wrecked and bankrupted by wa.
and the United States had its
mighty trade relations firmly eS-
tablished and coextensRe with
civilization on the globe.
THAT was the heritage OF tho
Democratic party bequeated It by
the Taft administration. Let US
review TO see what they did with
They first destroyed the exist
lngS law affording protection to
our labor and our industries, sub.
shutting the Underwood Tariff
Law In six months Of the opera
ton OF that law and the applica-
ton Of their methods OF N1m,n-
istration they wiped out an auual
nay roll to labor of more than
ss0o,000,00O.
They sent into ldleness and
decay 242. 600 freight cars and
100000 railroad men into idleness.
For two months before the World
War started the business OF the
nation decreased more than ST.
100000 an hour.
Everything for Wilson
t'Then came the World War,
and with 1T the inevitable war
prosperity. The flood: OF foreign
goods entering the country to take
the place of products made by our
own people stopped. Europe be.
Fan TO buy war supplies from us,
and the effect was practically the
same as a protective tariff in
peace times.
LET US now take up Preslden.
Hardingis administration. Instead
Of d debt OF less than $1,000, 900. /.
900 we found a debt Of over S24,.
00e,0oQ,000. Instead OF our bonds
selling at face value, a 500 Lib
erty bond was selling at $50. In
stead of a. worldwide trade with
prosperous foreign countries we
found the leading nations of tho
World War wasted and financially
demoralized.
eve found d large standing
army and navy. costing the tax.
payers millions Of dollars to main.
tain Peace terms had not been
agreed upon with Germany. We
found twice rs many clerks and
officers as were needed to run the
government. We found the farm.
ars financially stranded. We found
the government losing 100000
300 q year trying to operate poorly
constructed ships built during the
war. We found many OF our In
iustfies moralised from chang
ing from war contract work to a
peace basis. we found 100000
men out OF employment, billions OF
dollars OF unsettled war claims
and suits pending against the gov.
ornment. We found that one third
Of the vast sum Of money we had
raised by sale OF Liberty Bonds to
the people had been wasted and
infsspent III, ~