The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-14
THEaREPUBLICAN scHJsM

SeAuV" hdS presiuenb been 80 out Oi
 touch with his party in congress as sPresi
 dent Coolidge. Aside from the fact that tho Republican majority in neither house is q working majority, because of the irregular it contains. it appears that not even the regulars are sticking together or to the pres. ident. Only such standpatters as Lodge and few others can be depended on to the last ditch. And even Lodge voted for Japanese exclusion. On the subject of a world court, moreover. Lodge stands with Borah and a few others apart from both the president and the majority. Lodge and Borah want a brand new court, while the others will be satisfied to enter the present world court. provided it means the assumption of no obli- gaticn with respect to the League of Na- tions. They are willing to go into the kitchen, with the understanding that they are not to be invited into the parlor or to stay all night.
 It may De that Mir. Coolidge's isolation is due in part to his championship of the mem bers of his cabinet There was no good req son why he should have championed some members, especially Denby and Daugherty, both of whom he later had to dismiss In hesitatins to demand prompt and vigorous proving or :disprovins of the charges against the cabinet members, Mir Coolidge took the unfortunate course of acting as if there were nothing going on. Had the charges been sup ported by less eridence or involved issues less grave, the presidents attitude might have been convincing. But it could not be successful nJthe face of accusations which the people generally had come to believe, or at least to regard ns worth serious and ex- haustiye inquiry.
 The presidents relationship with Mir. Hughes is not exactly clear. It is known that he has backed the secretary of state up on such questions as the selling of arms to Mexico, but there have been Nhints of di. vergence of opinion on other questions. It is not even known for certainty just how the president regards the Japanese exclusion just at this time. Undoubtedly the nation has right to expect more definite knowledge of the chief executiYe's views on leading pub lie questions, Yet the nation has less doubt of Mr. Hughes opinions than of MT. Cool fSges epinieps. To he sure, Mir. Coolidge sss s..s. ssk hls pFssenf office, but In aecspt- ing 1t he asss.easd all the obiigationp that would have attended , -sEiiaE election to the office, Resides the president <. candidate fer the nomination io aueceed hiEaseli. Toe people will hardly vote for one whose siexs are mystery.
 Perhaps the greatest discount of the pres ident's influeAce in congress was found in the congressional rejection of the Mellon plan for tax redsRtion. The president had com mitted himself more completely to this plan than to any other policy involving his pres ent functions. He gave it warmer approval and urged it's adoption more earnestly than any other measure. But he was unable to convince congress, and now it appears that q totally new schedule, with the arrange ment of thestax rates favoring those in the lower rather than in the higher income brack- cts, will be successful. In the house this re- suit was properly attributed to the voting to- gether of the& &Democrats and the irregular Republicans. But in the senate, in support of a still more drastic plan, only fifteen ont of eighty eight senators remained loyal to the Mellon, that is, the administration plan. There is something more than mere party irregularly in this. It indicates very convinc- ingly that the Republicans in the senate are not in sympathy. with the administration.
 This sitnasIen cannot help but impress the people of this country very strongly. The election of Mir. Coolidge would perhaps not materially alter the relationship between ex- ecutive and Legislative. The nation would then face a four. year period that would be dreary in the extreme as far as constructive legislation is concerned. The alternative that immediately suggests itself is the election of a Democratic majority and a Democratic president. The Democrats have demonstrated great party solidarity on important meas ures, and with them in power the nation stands far better chance of administrative progress andi achievement