Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-11-28
MR. HARDING TAXES
COMMAND

only interesting but true:
President Harding wants It
understood that he has now as
sumed active and energetic leader
ship OF his party, and with it full
responsibility for the policies and
such affirmative action as NAV
mark the TWO remaining years Of
his Administration. Moreover.
the generalship which Mr.. Hard
ing proposes to exercise will not
be confined to the White House
and the executive departments. 1t
Will extend to both the Senate and
House, which heretofore have felt
only lightly the weight oi Presfs
Dental Influence"
This new political program on
the part of the President is, as the
dispatch points out, an entire re-
versal Of the theory and attitude
with which he began his Admins
tration. The dominating policy
of Mr.. Wilson and the Rough
Rider methods of Mr.. Roosevelt
were foreign to his temperament
and easy good nature, and he be-
Eeved, moreover, that they pro-
yoked irritation and tended to
cause i'll the end division and dis
aster. In his view the lubricating
oil of concilliation and good feel
ing could be relied on to produce
better results than the fcrule OF
the schoolmaster or the whip Of
the broncho buster. This, ne ar
gucd, is a democracy in which all
men are equal, and a constitutional
government in which the executive
department in which the executive
department should remain strictly
within its own boundaries.
For nearly two years Mr..
Harding has been observing scrup-
ulously this policy Oh amiability
and courteous respect for Con-
greSsional and party independence
and initiative. He has refused to
dictate. to bully or to threaten. In
all his communications to Con
gresS, until a few days ago, and in
his official intercourse with public
men he has been the soul OF good
manners and of model self-efface-
mcnt. If you please has been
his motto, and not you must.
But at last he begins to realize
that while oil has its place in .
salad dressing it may prove a foil-
IRE as a political and governmental!
motive power. The Washington
Arms Conference, in which he
ventured ON leadership, produced
his only definite and big achieve
ment. Its success might have
suggested the value OF discreet III
itiatiye, of using wisely the lesiti-
mate powers and influences i'll
herent in his Office. But it did not.
lie held the reins loosely and left
the party to its own devices.
This months election seems -
have aroused him to the necessity
OF being something more than
King Lag. Inc congressional
record which ne praised so highly
lust before November I has been
condemned by the popular vote.
The progrcssiyes, the radicals, the
third party men are blocking to th2
Capital as the result OF public dis
content. The Republican ship is
leaking badly, and unless some
body take sthe helm, stops the
leaks and gets the crew in hand,
a worse disaster than 1912 may lie
ahead. So at last Mr.. Harding
puts ON his Uniform, buckles On
I. his sword and lets i. be known
that ne will take command an Jhat
the rest will take orders. Ills
change Of mind was indicated IN
the militant tone Of his recent sub
( Sjdy message, and twas even more
clearly indicated by his determined
attitude in calling Congress INTO