Evening star., 1926-09-13
Thunder. Not Issues.

Democratic thunder is heard again.
A loud blast entitled THE Democratic
Book of Facts. or Facts Against Fal-
iacies," has been issued Jointly by
Senator Gerry of Rhode Island and
Representative Oldfield of Arkansas,
the chairmen, respectively, of the
senatorial and congressional cam
paign committees. The book is pre-
pared especially for use of the Demo
cratic spellbinders and candidates in
the congressional campaign now
under way. 1t charges. among other
things. that the Republican admin
istration is morally bankrupt" that
II has surrendered completely to
wealth and big business. and that it
has lost to the United States that
worldwide respect we enjoyed dur
ing the last Democratic administra.
ton Like Senator Simmons of
North Carolina, ranking Democratic
member of the Senate finance COM
mittee, the new Democratic campaign
book urges a further reduction of the
taxes during the coming short session
Of Congress
The Democrats for months have
been seeking an issue with which
they may so to the country and ef-
fectively contest the elections with
the Republican party. But an issue
that may be expected effectually to
coming To prate to people about big
business when the country is in the
midst Of an era Of prosperity that has
astonished the world, and when labor
is more highly paid than ever before
and employment good. is unusually
idle. Just about as idle as 1t is to
call labor strike when thousands of
men are walking the streets and labor
can be had for song.
In their effort to pronounce the Re-
publican party morally bankrupt, the
Democratic leaders turn particularly
to the Harding administration, to &C.
tivities of Fall. Daugherty and Forbes.
They forget that the people differenti.
ate entirely between the administra-
tion of President Coolidge and that Of
the late President Harding; that in
1924 by a tremendous sweep they re-
turned Mr.. Coolidge to Office notwith-
standing the revelations that had
been made U connection with the
Harding administration.
The Democrats are naive. In one
breath they insist that the Republican
administration vaunted economy is
q myth. In the next they declare
that further reduction of the Fed
eral taxes should be made at the COM
ing session of Congress. The Repub-
licans have only to refer to the DEM
ocratic statement itself in order to
convince the people that their admin
tstration has not squandered the
money raised In taxation, and to show
to the voters that business, under the
Republican guidance, has been so good
that unforeseen amounts in taxation
have rolled In.
Three Federal tax reductions have
been made since the Republicans took
charge OF the administration in 1921.
The latest reduction is still tickling
the fancy of the voters. Since the Re-
publicans are in control of the legisla-
tive and executive branches Of the
Government, they will be given the
credit for these tax reductions. The
Democrats must realize this, although
they insist that Democratic amend.
ments to the tax bills have been
adopted and have been in the inter-
est particularly of people of moderate
means.
Every one, as the Democrats have
discovered. is favorable to tax reduc-
ton. But the voters apparently have
been Just as willing to let this tax re-
duction proceed under Republican
leadership. feeling safer under that
leadership In the long run.
Issues do exist in this country to-
day with which a minority party
might grapple and with some hope of
arousing the people But the Demo.
cratic leaders have omitted them from
their list. The wet and dry issue Is
giving the people generally far more
TO think about today than taxes or
tariff or moral bankruptcy of Govern
ment. II Is forcing itself 10 the fore
ground SO rapidly that it may vet
become a major question in the next
national campaign. The agricultural
problem is another that would give
A large part OF the population a real
thrill il tackled effectively. The Dem.
ocrats, however. have been unwilling,
as have the Republicans. to go the
whole route for what the farmers
have demanded.
The man who refused TO read the
newspapers used TO go TO hotel and