Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-08-25
CONGRESS PLEDGE
IS NOT FULFILLED
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE BODY
HASN'T RESUMED RlGHTFUL
PLACE AS PROMISED.
HARDING HAS DONE HIS PART
President Has Tried to Persuade Con-
gress to Redeem Itself and Has
steadfastly Refused to Try to Domi-
nate 1t.
BY JAMES P. HoRNApAY

BY JAMES P. HORNADAY
Washington.-One Of the outstand-
ing promises In the presidential cam
paign of 1920 was that if the Repub-
ncans were successful the legislative
branch of the government would re-
turn to its rightful place as one of the
three coordinate branches of the gov
eminent. This promise has not been
fulfilled. Many students of govern
ment are now asking, "Can congress
come back?" President Harding has
carried out his part of the campaign
pact. He has not only not attempted to
dominate congress, but he has In many
ways and on many occasions tried to
persuade it to redeem Itself.
By the end of another month the
call Of the campaign will be heard,
and after the first Of October it will
be impossible for either house to main
tain quorum. The body will do
well If it gets the appropriation bills
through during the short session
which will begin on the first Monday
In December and end on the fourth
Of March. So the hopes Of the pub
ltcists who have for long time been
telling the congress that it should
be an independent and not q depend
ent branch Of the government, are now
turning to the Sixty-eighth congress,
Which will be elected next November.
President Harding expected great
things of the new congress. One Of
the first things he did after entering
the White House was to summon it to
meet April II, 1921. Without attempt
ing to dictate what it should do, be
recommended that it reduce taxation
and revise the tariff.
One Redeemlng Feature.
That special session extended from
April II, 1921, until November %,
1921, a total of 227 days. The record
of that special session is well known.
The important product was budget leg
islation, legislation it should be said
in fairness to everybody, that had been
enacted toward the close of the Will
son administration, but was vetoed by
President Wilson because Of techni-
caIity. 1t is the one redeeming fea-
ture of the record Of this congress.
The regular session which came on
December 5, 1921, has now run 243
days. At the opening of the session
President Harding submitted recon-
mendations for comprehensive legis-
lative program.
It. iss now foreseen by the Repub-
lean leaders in the two houses that it
will not be possible, provided the final
decision is to go ahead with the tariff,
to finish the legislation a great while
before election day. Some of the diff
ferences between the bill which the
house passed and the bill which the
senate will pass, as has been frequent
" pointed out, are fundamental. The
conference committee will have to re-
write some portions Of the bill, and
unless a new record should be set,
final agreement by the two houses af-
ter the conferees have reported will
not be speedily reached. For instance,
if the senate conference should yield
to the house on some Of the funda-
mentals-and the senate will have to
Weld on some Of them-there are sen
ators who will desire weeks in which
to discuss the issues thus raised
The Republican party is divided on
the question as to whether President
Harding is pursuing the right course
in leaving congress to its own re-
sources. Within recent months some
of the members of the Republican ma
tional organization have insisted pri-
vately with a good deal of vigor that
the President emulate the example set
by Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow
Wilson.
Nn~uyG Tu4o.sau~