Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-05-25
Watson's Address

Watson's Address
Indianapolis, May 24.-Efficient and
wise management of the nations at
| fairs, both domestic and information
| al, and substantial results in re-
| lieving 1.-The evils of eight years of
Democratic misrule' were claimed for
| the Harding administration in an
| address here today by Senator Wat
| son, Republican, Indiana, before the
| Indiana Republican State conven-
ton.
For years it has been the custom
of Indiana Republicans to have the
! keynote of the national campaigns
sounded before them, and Senator
| Watson's speech, which was DISCUSS
| ed in advance with President Hard
| ing, will be Incorporated in the party
| literature for the Congressional cam
paign this fall.
Senator Watson praised the exc
cutive, legislative and diplomatic
| record of the present administration
and fiayed the recent Democratic ad-
ministration as "debt-incurring, de-
| ficit- creating, issuing, surplus
| scattering, factory closing, industry
paralyzing, notwithstanding, So
cial-upheaving, and cataclysm- pro-
ducing."
! eve are not responsible for all this
waste" he declared. I'VE did not
produce all this wreckage. We did
not incur these debts. We have not
piled up this mountain of obligations,
and those gentlemen who are respon-
sible for all this rlotous orgy of ex-
: travagance and all this upsetting Of
industry and unsettling of financial
| conditions now stand and jeer at us
because lin fourteen months we have
not overcome all the evil they pro-
duced in eight years"
| I'VE have not yet accomplished all
! that we have set out to do" he con-
| tinued. We have not cured all the
| ills and corrected all the mistakes
and overcome all the evils of eight
years of Democratic misrule, but
| certainly we have taken long strides
in the right direction and assuredly
in the Republican party cannot ad :
| just matters what hope is there in
! lui " Inc vi TIA
| caused all the disaster in the be-
| ginping?"
| Reduction of taxes and appropria-
| tions, reorganization of the shipping
board, agricultural relief, the tariff
/ bill and diplomacy of the present
| administration were emphasized by
Senator Watson.
This administration does not need
an apologist," SAID Senator Watson
mo administration ever before came
into power confronting such problems
of such complexity and difficulty as
| those which were inherited by Presl-
dent Harding and the Republican
| Congress"
President Harding's call for the
| conference, he declared, was "tha
largest step toward international
peace with justice the world has
known in all it's history" and the
whole world, he said, applauded the
| result. The four power treaty, the
Senator said, brought understanding
| and assurance for peace.
| Defamation of the invitation to the
| Genoa conference also was commend
ed by Mr. Watson who said it was 4
| political and not an economic con-
| ference.
| In domestic affairs, Senator Watson
said the Harding administration
stood for full freedom in business
and a recognition Of the larger right
of the individual TO control and oper-
ate his own business affairs"
| THE new freedom preached by
Woodrow Wilson was a grotesque
travesty on the very name" he add
] ed, while the enfranchisement of
| business under Harding is an ac-
! complished fact
Citing the new and fixed charges
| from the AR, Senator Watson said
there could not be any great reduc-
ton in taxes for decade or more,
| but he contended the Republican
| party had kept it's platform pledge to
reduce taxes as far as possible con-
| sistent with government needs. This
in part was possible, he said, by dis
missal of more than 100000 govern
ment employees in the last two years.
incidentally discussing civil SER
| vice, Senator Watson said he stood
for it as applied to many government
| activities but he declared it should
not be used to shelter men opposed
| to the policy of the administration
| and who secretly connive to over
| throw it,
'They have not been getting rid
! of Democrats in some of the depart
ments fast enough to suit me-" he
| added. Il have been and am oppos,,I
| to putting postmasters under civil
| service
| The pending tariff bill, which he
helped draft, was prominent sub
! ject of Senator Watson's address II
would do much he said to restore
business and prosperity. Protection,
he added, had been a proven policy.
''This tariff" he added, sis not
being made to please free traders, we
did not formulate it to suit import
ers."
The Fordney Emergency Tariff law,
the Senator asserted had saved the
wool and sheep industry Xxx x
and been of immense value to the
dairy interests x X and to the
great benefit of the farmer"