Hickory daily record., 1922-11-04
Entered - sseond-class matter
MR.. PARKER'S SPEECH


The Record confesses to a create
liking for John j. Parker, who spok
here last night, with the passing o
the years. His is a magnetic person
ality and for man Of his year
he makes as good political speecl
as any campaigner who comes thi
way. It is much better than tn
majority Of speeches.
The Record was surprised to hea
Mr.. Parker say that the credit of tn.
United States was impaired by th'
Democrats simply because Libert,
bonds sold low. Readers of this news
paper will recall that the Record on E
score Of times, even when bonds were
selling well, told its readers that ever
though these securities would fall
they would rise again, and appealed
to holders to cling to them if they
could. History merely repeated itself
in the case of government bonds
When individuals and corporations, il
need Of money after the break in Oc
tdber 1920, threw their securities
on the market, the price was bound
to fall just as the price of wheat
would fall in Milwaukee if quantitie:
Of wheat were brought to market al
one time.
As newspaper which supported the
Harding arms conference, the Record
comedies that it was a step in the
right direction. But since Hughes,
Taft, Root and hundreds of prominent
Republicans had promised the coun,
try an association of nations, Mr.,
Harding could do little less than fol-
low Senator Borah's lead in inviting
q conference. It was half a loaf ant
was better than no bread.
The mere fact that in Indiana
North Dakota, Pennsylvania and 9th.
er states" where the old guard has
been strong progressive Republicans
have swept the old guard ou Of
power may not impress Mr.. Parker,
burt it impresses the progressives OF
Catawba county. The fact Of the
business is that neither the Republican
nor Democratic party is able to pro-
duce an outstanding personality every
election. Mr.. Harding cannot rank
with the great presidents.
The Record is cognizant of the fact
that two years ago Mr.. Parker sup.
ported the income tax amendments,
which place on those best able to pay
the greater burden of taxation in
North Carolina. Taxation has always
been a bother and it is troublesome
in every state in the union, except |
those states where the manufacturing |
or natural wealth is SO great as to
relieve the land almost entirely. As !
North Carolina grows in manufactur-
ing, the burden must be shifted to
those best able to pay. About every
tax system is wrong and it is only
in the wealthy counties that the aver
age citizen does not feel the pinch.
Farmers who got AZ cents pound
for their cotton in 1919 and 1920 are
aware Of the fact that the Wilson
administration refused to fix price
for this staple during the war. Its
failure to stop cotton from soar
ing caused western farmers, now in
rebellion against Harding, to rebel
against Wilson and his work. The
cry Of favoritism was heard in the
north and west, and western farmers
smote the Democrats hip and thigh.
When farmers began to hold their
cotton, prices started to rise. Gov
ernment has done little or nothing for
the farmer.
It is q fact, as Mr.. Parker said,
that the Republicans are more con-
servative than the Democrats, who
generally are more liberal than their
opponents. Democrats would place a
greater burden-we speak from the
record-on wealth than the Republi-
cans. But neither party is against pri-
vate property, though in both organi-
cations there are contending forces
10 France in Maryland, Frazier in t
North Dakota and Brookhart in Iowa, {
% mention three conspicuous Republi- :
IAN examples. +
Az to the Australian ballot, which t,
he Record and practically all the
sewspapers Of the state have advo- a
ated-let It be understood that voting ..
lnder such = law would make for lei
'steer government, but probably one
uurtA q ths voters in Catawba coun-