The labor world., 1922-09-09
(By WALLACE BASSFORD.
Especial News Correspondence


two or three are gathered together
in Washington the conversation
turns sooner or later to the monu-
mental failure of the Republican ad-
ministration. No one disputes the
fact of failure, but there are differ
ences of opinion as to why. froo-
ably the best reason have neard
Is that the party leaders are not try
ing to give the people what they de-
sire and need. but rather trying to
meet their obligations to the men
who put up Harding's enormous
compaign fund and hoping to be
able to mollify the dissatisfied pub
lie on some issues which they will
encourage to come to the front In
the hope that more damaging ones
can be thus kept in the rear.
Strangely enough, it appears to
some. they are willing, as evidenced
by their action in having Secretary
Hughes revive the Newberry scan-
dal, to have that as an issue, for
most men regard the seating Of a
man in the senate after conviction of
bribery as very serious stain on
the party guilty Of such action.
There can be but one conclusion as
to this, as ably pointed out by Chair
man Hull of the Democratic National
committee and by Senator Pomerene.
and that is that the Republican
leaders are choosing the least Of sew
eral evils. They doubtless believe
that many men will be Of many
mi nd Oh rf nr,Q1
turpitude, and that most strong party
men will not be driven from their
party by even highly questionable
performance done for party suprem-
acy, hence they would rather risk
the Newberry issue than to fight it
out on the great increases in the cost
of living surely to come from the
enactment of the high tariff bill,
for they we'll know that the most
political makeup is the one that
reaches his pocketbook.
This is the issue they fear the most
After that comes a year and a half
of Harding hard times. accentuated
by four big strikes, which the ad-
ministration has been utterly un-
able to handle. In truth, their set
tlement seemed to be actually de-
layed and hampered by the very
presence Of the president in the
equation: his efforts seemed to be
resented by both sides, with neither
side willing that he should be. the
mediator.
The only time the warning sides
showed evidences of getting togeth-
er was after the president got out,
and the soft coal strike was then
settled instanter
Sir Robert Peel, in the days of
the high tariff laws in England, be-
fore Golden and Bright converted
him Jaid: Through an indirect (tar-
iff) tax, you can tax the coat off a
mans back and he will never know
what is hurting him" Probably true
at one time, but now men read and
think and every time man sweet
ems his coffee he can reflect on the
knowledge that the price Of the
sugar he is using has been increased
third by the tariff tax placed up
on it in order to force him Indirect
Is true of sugar is true Of hundred
articles which enter into his every
day life.
The Washington tailors and CLOTH
ters are advertising the fact that it
behooves the man with a few spare
dollars to lay in suit or two before
the evil days come, the days when
woolen cloth will cost the dealer a
third more because of the tariff
bounty allowed to the American
Woolen pany with it's sixty mills
and it's surplus of thirty-odd mill
ions. which paid extra dividends of
Is per cent recently. and which is
no infant industry in need of a nurs-
ing bottle.
I have it. from one of the wise
ones that Secretary Hughes has
compact with Harding through
which Hughes is to be the nominee
in 1924, and that Hughes is staying
up nights to cultivate Uncle Hiram
johnson in order that California may
not escape next time.
1t will be remembered that Hughes
started his campaign in 1915 with
trip across the continent. He had
been governor of New York and we'll
knew what courtesies were due from
him to a governor Of sovereign
state. He went to California and
johnson was then governor Of the
state: he was in the same hotel with
Johnson but refused to call on him.
Result, Hughes failed to carry the
state, though Johnson, running for
the senate on the same ticket, won
with an enormous majority. John
sons friends slaughtered Hughes.
The fact is that Hughes lost the
: PRESIDENCY and the people escaped
his reactionary administration by
reason Of the nervous breakdown
which he suffered the previous WIN
ter while on the supreme bench; he
had not recovered from it when
he started into the campaign and
before he was himself again he had
kicked the fat into the fire by in
discretions on his cross-country cam
paign.
T. The facts about that break down
Z have never been made public, but
sometime it will be recognized as
having profoundly altered the his
tory Of the country. AS regards Mr..
Hughes personally it was most un-