The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-03-08
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fRr WALLACE Bassfordl

among those who watch and study
the mystifying moves Of big politics
that the Presidents recent utter
ances ON the bonus constitute a re-
Election of his desire to defeat the
proposition and to let the blame rest
on the Farm Bloc, which he looks
upon as being the evfl genius OF his
administration. 1t is believed that
he would like to place these men In
a hole from which they might never
be able to extricate themselves.
When he gave it out that he did not
favor bonus legislation unless the
money could be raised by a sales
tax, he knew that the Farm Bloc is
on record as strongly opposed to
such a tax. Thus Harding passes
the buck" to those gentlemen and
at the same time throws sop to
his Wall Street friends who want
sales tax to eventually take the place
of taxes and surtaxes on incomes. In
the same breath he tells the soldier
he would like to see him get bonus
but throws an obstacle in the way.
II is more than suspected that the
President would like to see lot of
members of his own party fall out
side the breastworks in the coming
election fight. There are so many
Republicans in the House and Sem
ate that he can't handle them, and
il any fall he would prefer that they
be members of the Farm Bloc in
both House and Senate. OF course
il is well known that the Democrats
are getting together most militant
organization for the purpose of
causing an utter disappearance of
this unwieldy condition. One of the
big Republicans told newspaper
man the other day that the leaders
of his party were hopeful that the
majority of 1853 in the House could
be reduced to 80 or 40 without
starting an avalanche that would wipe
out the majority completely. They
would like to have Congress that
could be controlled by few leaders,
but it is a dangerous time to try
the tactics thought of. AS far as
impartial observers can see at this
time, the slaughter among Republic ,
cans of both House and Senate will
be great, but that the Farm Bloc
will suffer the least. The Democrats
say the Republicans are in for the
worst trimming they have had in
80 years.
While addressing the League of
Republican clubs in Washington
last Saturday the President made a
damaging display of his Toryism.
Only those who read widely and
keep close observation are aware of
the extent of Harding's reactionary
tendencies. Some who read this will
recall that he was one of the few
public men who condoned the action
of little group in the Baltimore
convention of 1912 who withheld
the nomination from Champ Clark
after he had received a majority of
votes and after he had shown in the
primaries that he was the choice of
the voters Harding showed then
that he believed in the bosses hand
ling and controlling conventions.
He was always a bitter anti-Roose-
welt man and always opposed Teddy,
who believed in the people and the
primary. He condoned the action
of the convention that nominated
Taft when everyone knew the
masses of the party wanted Roose-
welt. Students of politics under
stand that an infallible test of pub
lie mans attitude on the great prin-
ciples of government is found in the
nominating method which he favors.
Those who believe in progressive
democracy condemn the old conven-
ton system with all its manipula-
ton, trickery and fraud. President
Harding takes his stand with those
who still believe in the bossism of
a few leaders, who dictate policies
and candidates. In the address
mentioned the President said: II
would rather trust the declaration
of party, expressing the conscience
of its membership in a representa-
tive convention, looking forward to
successful appeal to the conscience
and convictions of the country, than
would to the ephemeral whims OF
passing moments in public life.
wish l dared-I WILL say it