The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-03-09
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
BY Wallace Bassford

rNAS ssAS hfce year VI us IerH. IL
has but twelve months Of existence
if its latter thaki leaves no better i'm
preston On the country than it's first,
then certain it is that it will 20 down
in history as one of the big disap-
oointments, disheartening to its clos
est friends and even to it's own MEM
oership. Few if any, attempt to de-
fend Congress that has become the
,uts of the jokesmiths on the state
md in the funny papers. It's efforts
f they can be called such-to relieve
he distress of the country might be-
:ome tragic if it were not for the saw
ng sense of hurnor possessed By the
American people. Everyone laughs
when Abe Martin says that business
| IS picking up--he quotes the proprie-
tor of the five and ten cent store as
saying he has sold more checker
i
| III of Wilson's administration. And
the Washington theatre rings with ap-
olause when Will Rogers, the come
dian, tells of the recent fire or the
roof of the Treasury-how it stop
ped when it had burned down to
tho money, for the Administration
had beat the fire to it. Every test of
| public opinion shows that Congress IS
has made itself intensely unpopular.
If anyone had prophesied this out
come when Harding and the Dig Re-
publican majority in Congress came
70 bat last people would have laugh
ed at him, but the public has been trea-
ted to succession of delays and party
splits on important matters, with in
creasing bewilderment and helpless
ness. Every Republican in Congress
seems to be a party unto himself with
the exception of few clear headed
men like Jim Mann--who might bring
,ome order out of this chaos had his
| ungratful party given him the place
lie won, the Speakership, but it went
to one who admits his own utter in
| ability and that of his party.
And yet, every cloud is said to have
its silver lining, and we can reflect
with joy that this Congress has only
twelve months more to live.
Speaking of Hays recalls what Mann
said of him in the House the other
day. His remarks make one wonder
what sort of bargain the Movie Trust
got when it agreed to pay Hays
$15O,0OO per year as sort of Field
Marshall. Mann said in the course of
debate: "He has not been worth
.:c reents since he has been Post
master General. He does not know
anything about the Post Office De-
partment; and, for one, am mighty
glad he is getting cut of it. His only
object has been to be extravagant
in his own personal relations with the
Government. Long distance te]ephon-
ing is his main long suit"
The bonus question, like the coffin
of Mohammed, remains suspended be-
tween heaven and earth. When Hard
'ng asked Congress to adopt bonus
legislation and to provide a sales-tax
to pay the bill, he knew the Agrlcul-
tural Conference which had just been
held in Washington passed resolu-
ton saying: "We positively and earn-
estiy protest against any consump-
ton, or sales, or manufacturers tax,
or any other tax which shifts the bur
dens onto those least able to pay. onto
the necessities of life. 1t has proved
disappointing financially and unjust.
socially wherever tried" That rcsolu-
tion passed unanimously in farm
conference which Harding called,
then within less than three weeks he
asked Congress to pass sales-tax.
Why? Two reasons: He knew the
Farm Bloc was against the tax and
that Labor was emphatically on rec
ord against it, and he could tell the
American Legion he was emphatically
for the bonus but that he was blocked
by this opposition; further, every
one about the Capitol knows that
ever since it became apparent that
Harding was to be elected the Wall
Street district has flooded Congress
With letters and arpumpnta Of avar,,
sort, directly and through the great
New York newspapers, under control
of the financial interests, urging the
enactment of a sales-tax. Big busi-
ness seeks, through Harding's recnt |
action to bring the sales-tax in to use
first on the plea that it is necessary
TO pay the bonus--tkat for the enter
ing wedge. Their hope and intention
is that il chall ha y,,ado u,;th;r . fo,v