Evening star., 1924-03-04
|0|L AND congress
PROBLEM OF G. 0.P.
Success in Forthcoming EIec'
/, ton Held. Dependent on
Administrations Record.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Today ends the third year OF re-
publican rule. viii 1t be one year
more or FIVE? On the answer to that
question, the whole machinery OF
politics is at the moment concentrat-
ed. And the consensus Of opinion is
that on the record Of Congress In the
, next few weeks, and the manner In
which President Coolidge handles the
executive end Of the Teapot Dome
controversy. will the verdict of the
jury-the American people-be rem
dered. - -
Congress- has done relatively little
since 1t assembled last December
Appropriation bills are delayed. AS
Senator Warren, republican leader.
points out, the constructive meas
ures pending are In danger or peinE
sacrifced by the necessity or getting
appropriation bills out OF the way:
Another fiscal year begins July l ana
Congress 10 way behind scneduie.
President Fights for Tax Bill.
President Coolidge. keenly aware
that the spotlight is on him, has
started his fight for Senate changes
| In the tax bill passed by the House.
He has let It be known that the
House measure is unsatisfactory. He
! Is not ready to say on what grounds
| he would veto an unsatisfactory bill,
but he has made 1t plain that the
House bill is not what he wants.
Nor is it what the Senate wants.
There will be changes, but whether
they will make the measure more
acceptable to the President or less
Leo ficfa - ro .CnnfarfnYad
because opinion on tax revision has
not yet crystallized in the Senate.
Already there Ia an effort under
way to revise the soldiers bonus bill
go that it will take on more of the
aspect of q paid-up insurance plan
the American Legion may accept 1t
as the best obtainable at this session.
Insurance N Collateral.
1t would not be 50 difficult for the
legion to get through Congress in a
year or so-or perhaps later-a
simple piece of supplementary legis-
lation enabling the ex-service men
to borrow cash from the banks or
| the government with the insurance
certificates as the basis Of the loans
In the end the cost to the govern
ment would be the same. but the po-
litical possibilities OF success are
greater by dividing the effort for the
bonus and doing one part OF 1t only
this year. The scheme would save
political .embarassRent, and enable
the Coolidge administration to go to
the country with the record of having
reduced taxes and passed a bonus
bill too. -. -
Obstacle to Bonus.
The principal. obstacle which the
bonus advocates have encountered is
tax revision. The impression that she
bonus will make impossible a re-
duction of taxes has sunk in deeply.
To offset it, the bonus champions are
preparing a bill that does not mean
immediate cash outlay. 1t would have
not only a better chance Of passage,
but would permit the cash outlay -st
a later date If Congress felt inclined
to make the grant.
AS for the oil scandal. the friends
of President Coolidge believe the po-
litical effect OF 1t will be felt only
IL Mr.. Coolidge is weaker than his
party. or. to put it another way, If
he fails to acquire a prestige which
makes him appear stronger than his
Some of his admirers think Calvin
Coolidge is today stronger than the
republican party and that the mis-
takes of the party Will not be
charged against him. II Mr.. Coolidge
can force tax revision through the
Senate along such lines as are satis-
factory to him the exhibition Of
leadership will make him stronger
than his party. That would seem to
be his objective at the moment
Copyright, 1924,