New Britain herald., 1916-06-01
REPUBLICAN PARTY
 A NONENTITY, BAKER
Wandering Aimlessly With No
 Cause and No Opinion
RECORD OF DEMOCRATS

ton and European and Mexican
 Policy Indications of What Ad-
 ministIation Has Done for Country. Columbus, O., June 1-Secretary of War Baker, in an address as chairman of the Ohio democratic convention here today, declared the republican party is "an aggregation of factions agreeing upon no set of principles,' and compared it with the democratic party which, he said, had gram in economic measures. national preparedness and foreign policy. The party will be continued in power to mature it's program, he predicted.
 Referring briefly to politics in Ohio, his home stSte, the secretary eX- pressed the hope that the present re- publican administration character ized by feebleness and uncertainty" would be replaced by the demo- crats next year and that special at tention would be given to relieving the financial stringency of Ohio cities. Secretary Baker praised President Wilson for pressing enactment of the federal reserve and rural credits systems, tariff reduction, for uphold ing American ideals in dealing with 1 Mexico, and for steering the United States away from participation in the European war. He expressed satis- faction that the preparedness pro- gram had been moderate
 Republican Today Nonentity. Attacking the republican party, Secretary Baker said:
 ITO speak of a man as a republi can today identifies him with no cause ascribes to him no opinion; and whether it affiiates him with progressives or reactionaries or both cannot be told until after the national convention in Chicago next week. He declared that Senator Harding of Ohio, who will preside at the re- publican convention, represents one faction which believes the tarHt should be the issue in the coming campaign, while other rePuplicaH0 favor an attack on the foreign pollcy Of the present administrator. Op- position camps divided into those who believe the administration has
 
 i4 has been too peace-loving, he said. "Then there is a third group the secretary continued, ''headed by the Great Detractor, who, shifting from 1 pOsition to position on the nation s 1 foreign policy, selects at each tune l apparently whatever vantage point seems to offer an opportunity for 1 making difficult the position of the ! president and congress.
 Tn other words, what used to be
 the strong, coherent, logical organlza- | ton known as the republican party,
 is now, so far as it's leaders are con- i cerned. an aggregation of factions, agreeing on no set of principles, ad- vocating no national policy, the only common bond of union being willing ness to pool issues to win And this party is about the meet in convention at Chicago to select whatever candl- date looks best at the last moment and whatever principles promise to weather the storm until November.
 'In contrast to this the democratic party. having lived through years of doubt and hesitation, with central philosophy sometimes more yearn- ing than a program, now presents matured policy, evolved by great leader. welcomed by his party asso- ciates as the real expression of their political ideals.'
 Federal Reserve Act Great Victory.
 Secretary Baker declared the federal reserve act, by steadying busi- r.ess and commerce during the trying period of the European war, alone "wOuld afford a record for courage and wisdom upon which the party could confidently appeal to the power of a, few inanciers to cause a panic he stated. The rural credits legislation lis the first comprehen- sive recognition by the nation of the Leeds and rights of those who till the soil as the foundation of our entire economic structure" said the secre- tary.
 Commenting on the democratic re- duction of tariff MT. Baker said ',To the amazement of the faithful the du- ties have gone down but the dinner pail is not only empty but full to over flowing. The high protective duty has passed to the hall of fame, where 1t is placed with Doctor Cook and Gag liOstro, venerable only because of the length of time men rendered homage for virtues which it did not possess
 MT. Baker declared that interven- tion in Mexico had been urged by some American owners of Mexican mines some American prOprietors of Mexican concessions some Americans who looked with longing eyes on Mexico as Naboth's vineyard" Bor- der disorders have been unfortunate he explained but the only alternative was "war upon these people, who have