San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-21
Democrats and Republicans
Alike Vote for Relief
Measures for Them.
CAPPER BILL PASSED
Both Parties Expect to Make
Much of Attitude in
Coming Campaign.
BY ROBERT 7. SMALL

wash stOn, ID. C., Jan. 2O.-The
present session Of Congress is writing
itself into history as 1.-THE farmers con-
greSs." President Harding hoped it
would also be a shipping congress, and
called it into special session in that
hope. But the senators and represen-
tatives who will pack up their grips and
leave Washington just six weeks from
It ..Ly appear content TO be known as
the fervent friends of agriculture and
TO let the American flag disappear from
any one or all of the seven sounding
seas.
Democrats and Republicans alike are
tumbling over each other in an effort
TO put through the farmers relief meas
ures. The Senate passed the first of
the big bills Friday afternoon, without
a record vote. There was no need to
make 4 record, for all the senator's pres
ent were animated by the same desire to
appease the militant man of the soil
and all were voting in the same direc-
ton. About the only fault the Demo
Gratis had to find with the Cappcr bill,
which has now gone to the House where
it will be railroaded through in short
order, was that it did not go far enough
to the rescue Of the farmer
Having passed the Capper bill. n very
comprehensive and carefully worked out
measure, the Senate is proceeding to
consideration of the Lenroo. Anderson
bill. which is designed to go somewhat
further than the Capper bill in provid-
ing long term credits for all persons and
associations engaged in furthering the
arts of agriculture. The LenroOt bill
has been recommended for passage by
the Senate committee on banking and
currency. 1t will be passed probably
within the next fortnight. To all in
tents and purposes the work of the Sem
ate then Will be through with the excep-
ton of the routine of the appropriation
bills.
Ship Subsidy Bill Doomed.
The ship subsidy bill will be taken up
and discussed. but there is no one so
brave as to say the measu will reach
vote before the session comes 10 its
constitutional end on March 4.
The farm relief legislation will stand
as the one constr, tive achievement OF
the Congress and Wien the time comes
for the politicians TO go out upon the
hustings. there will be a great clashing
of the cymbals By both the Republicans
and the Democrats and ""eat vocal eff
foIts TO convince the farmers that they
number their fri'nds in Washington by
the legiOns. The Republicans naturally
will claim the lions share Of the credit
for the liberal loar laws, for they will
have been enacted under Republican
administration. The debates have
shown that the Democrats are going to
CHM that the relief measures were
made necessary by conditions which
came to lass under that same Republi-
can administration and will further say
that il the Democrats had controlled
Congress they would .yc been more
liberal with the farmers than the
G. O. Z.
The Democrats in debate have
charged that the disastrous deflation of
the farmers in 1920 when Woodrow
Wilson still was in the White House,
was not due to anything done by the
Democratic administration. but to re-
strictive legislation passed by Congress.
The Republicans have laughed at this
and placed the blame for the plight OF
the farmers at the door Of Mr., Wilson,
SO it is seen that the farm credit legis-
latiOn now passing through Congress is
to be an issue in the next campaign, al
though every senator is voting for the
bills and none against them.
Farmers in the Saddle.
Certainly the events Transporting on
Capitol Hill show that the farm is in
the saddle in Washington at the present
The agrariah movement storm
, DIS herring in &C West have not
cast their shadows in Washington in
vain. The Macedonian cry of the agri-
has stirred Washington from
one end Of Pennsylvania avenue to the
other. President Harding who felt at
the beginning of the session of Con-
gress that the ship subsidy bill should |
take precedence over the farmers bills, !
made no serious objection to the shift /
in program when he heard from some |
of the western senator's how the folks |
'back home" in their states were feel |!
ing and talking.
At a hearing before the Senate COM |
mittee on agriculture, farmer witness |
from the Northwest told the entire terse |
story of the American farm. in the fol- !
lowing cOllOQuy:
How many Of you IA mers are
he was asked.
practically all of them
"What have they mOrtgagCd:'
Their homes and farms"
"Have they any livestock
Eyes"
Are they mortgaged:"
"Yes sir"
what else have they mortgaGed:'
"They have mOrtgaged their growing /
crops"
1t would appear from this, therefore,
hat the farmers in general have moth |
ng more TO offer as security. But the |
bills are designed to afford some meas
Ire of relief. even in the extreme cOndi- |
ions outlined. TIE farmer has been 1
by short term notes. The re- |
lief bills are establishing means of Civ |
ng him credit for a term of years II .
1t is realized that in order +.
10 get out Of debt the farmer must hOr- /
'ow still further-that is, he must fund .
his debts and pay them back gradually /
,ver a term of years.
A Sen?te report in single sentence !
ellis the story OF the relief bills al |
.knuuh fhngn Nils than sp1,.ae arc q MAYA Il