The daily sentinel., 1912-04-09
new YORK REPUBLICANS
IN STATE CONVENTION
CONTINUED from Page IL


who tell us that we must buy their
political patent medicine or fail to
carry the next presidential election %
formed the keynote of the add ress
before the Republican state conven-
tion here today OF Nicholas Murray
tier, president of Columbia uni
versity, the conventions temporary
chairman.
The Supreme Issue of 1912" was
the subject of Dr. Buffers address
This he defined as the maintenance
of our republican form of govern
ment." In conclusion, he declared
that the chief measure of progress
confronting the nation were the en-
actment of workingman's COM
pensation law enactment of proper
monetary legislation: revision of the
tariff, supplementary legislation to
the antitrust law; judicial settle
ment of international disputes; econ
omy in government and legislation to
shorten the laws delays. He said.
in part:
What criticism is made of the
republican administration of the ma
tion during the past 16 years? There
is, first the honest and fair criticism
of our opponents from whom We diff
fer in many matters of fundamental
political policy. This criticism is
natural and necessary incident in the
conduct of a republican form of
government. Second, there is crit
icism from an element which, how
ever numerous, is certainly in full
possession of its powers of speech,
and which is found in part within
the ranks of the democratic party.
Ii includes the whole of the social
ist party as well as some of those
whose mental condition is one of
such blissful elevation that they
cannot find any political association
quite satisfactory OF them.
These critics tell us that we are
behind the times: that we are, in the
significant language of the gaming
table, stand-patters; that We have
lost touch with the march of pro-
gress: that We are out of sympathy
with the satisfaction of the deepest
human needs and with the allevia-
tion OF human suffering: that we put
poverty rights above human rights;
and that some meanS-violent. II
possible, peaceable If necessary
must be found to free the govern
ment from our paralyzing control.
I'VE are today infested with polit-
ltal patent Intultlut men.
of ordinary laws of political and
social growth. or defying them, they
press upon us the odd and curious
nostrums of their own making which
are sure to cure our evils, to abolish
poverty, to do away with injustice,
and to bring about that happy and
blissfu Utopia of which certain
types of men with nothing useful to
do habitually dream.
"Pious and oracular aphorisms
are the stock in trade of the politi-
cal patent medicine man whose pur-
suant of a higher office is so com
pelling that he cannot find time to
attend to the duties of the office
which he already holds. The plain
discharge of present duty does not
seem likely to commend him suffi-
ciently to a larger and more impor-
tant constituency. Neither the SEN
ate of the United States nor the
goyernorship of a sovereign state
offers adequate scope for his activ-
tiles and his genius. He must hur-
ry off, while public business waits.
in order that he may sound his own
praises and recite his own phrases
to the open-mouthed thousands who
assemble to greet so great man.
"It may perhaps be said that
however misleading these political
patent medicine men may be, howev-
er selfish the popular demagogues
of the day, yet they have gained so
large following that we must lis
ten to them and buy. their political
patent medicine or else we shall fan
to carry the next presidential cleo
ton. | deny absolutely. | deny tnat
the republican party and its prin-
ciples are for sale. | deny that a
political party exists only to win
elections at any cost. If it sells its
principles. it is no longer political
party, but only an organized appe-
tite."