Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-03
PRESIDENT SEES
POLITICAL PROFIT
IN CONGRESS EXIT
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(LeaSed Wire Service to The Journal
IEnnrrirhf 1909


2 WASHINGTON, March 2.-Legis
lative normalcy, something the coun
try has not experienced in ten con-
secutive years-will be tried for nine
months beginning next week. 1t will
be tried-that's as far as predic-
ton can be made at the moment.
Whether it will last until December
without an extra session being
forced in the interval is uncertain
for there are going to be enough
problems left over when congress
adjourns this week to burrow their
way into the political situation and
upset even the best laid of plans for
rest.
President Harding is a great be-
lever in the psychological value OF
letting congress cease legislating or
debating. For one thing it gives the
people in the executive branch OF
the government a free hand to
carry out the laws on the statute
books and the policies already for
nnulated without having the club of
congressional resolutions, inquiries
and Investigations hanging over
head.
But the desire for free hand goes
deeper than that. The biggest and
at the same time the most pressing
political problem before the country
today is its economic condition. I'm
less the people are in a more or
less satisfied frame of mind in 1924,
the Republican administration will
have a difficult time persuading the
electorate to keep the administration
in power another four years.
President Knows Situation.
President Harding himself in his
talks with his callers recently has
disclosed that he has no illusions
about the political situation. If
there is universal employment and
farm prices are higher and pros
perity is at least discernible. even
though the degree Of contentmen.
felt in such a boom year in 1919
has not returned, the expectation
is that the Republicans will have
better than an even chance Of vic
tory.
The president naturally expects
to be renominated. He had made
the record and is willing to stand
on it. The mechanics Of the prob
lem CT denomination are not diff
cult with an incumbent president.
He usually controls the delegations
through his official position and his
subbordinates can have him renom.
mated without the need on his part
of lifting a finger or even nodding
approval.
But every forecast nowadays must
be qualified by "all other things
being equal" Mr.. Harding's idea
Of what is coming is based on the
hope that there will be no unto
ward developments of an econom.c
or political nature. Out where the
west begins, however, there are
signs of continued agricultural agi-
tation. Congress will have passed
legislation affording the farmer all
the credit in the world. That mucn
will be pointed to by the party in
power as an evidence of good faith
anyhow. Yet the extension of cred
it will not raise agricultural prices
And when farm prices are low there
are political storms ahead. AL
ready a northwestern agricultural
, convention has met and petItioned
the president to call an extra seB
sion of congress to fix the price of
wheat.
Calls for Extra Session
From now on Mr.. Harding will b.
urged to call an extra session to
cure nearly every woe that develops
in the body polite. He will try at
first to afford the necessary relief
through executive departments. But
the pleas for an extra session will
continue and the president viii!
finally have to decide whether it is
politically better to keep congress at
home and ignore the cries for an
other session Or bring congress
back and place the responsibility
again on the legislative branch OF
the government.