The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1918-09-06
ATTENTION TO POLITICS!
BY WILL II. HAYS

l pOllllCSs 1 Hc bOiio Va hutiiSh uip
fighting today In France to make GER
tain that men in all corners of the
world forever shall have the right to
govern themselves. Here, in 1918, we
have that privilege. and it is our duty
/ to exercise Il. The Republican party
calls upon every man to exercise his
voting right now and to do 1t in
diligently and after full discussion
and consideration. To do less is to
shirk the supreme duty of sovereign
citizenship and to squander worse
than recklessly the richest heritage
with which we are endowed. The war
does not lessen, the war accentuates,
these responsibilities. We will accept
this responsibility.
We insist that a fair contest for
political power is no less an antisep-
tic in war times than in peace times.
| In fact, in war times we require even
more than in peace times the most
careful scrutiny of the principles of
the candidates which are to rule us.
The Republican party pledges that
every man shall be a man supremacy
pro-American believing in one flag
and one people for this country.
Every candidate will be a man who
will repudiate every note not wholly
| loyal and denounce any support not
wholly patriotic; he will be willing
TO give his all and the country's all
for the most vigorous prosecution of
/ the war, will strive irrevocably for a
peace by victory and will never per-
nit traffic in principles. A Repub-
lican victory this fall will mean pri-
marily one thing, an ever-increasing
vigorous prosecution of the war. A
Republican Congress means a war
| Congress which will be a warranty
of its own performances and a
guarantee of a complete fulfillment
of duty by every department of the
government. We insist that there be
no partisanship in anything that
touches the war-and that which we
demand from the party in power we
irrevocably pledge for ourselves.
urge that there be no contest in
this country as to any thing that
touches the war, between any indi-
viduals or between any political
parties, except that contest-who
best can serve, who best can give.
A Republican Congress means, fur
Their, that we shall Immediately begin
a sane preparation for the great
problems which will come after the
war. Every nation in Europe on both
sides of the fighting line are today
preparing for peace. The United
States alone, OF all the first class
powers engaged in this war, is drift
without thought of the preparation
for the morrow. This we declare to be
typical of the policies of our oppo-
nents. We declare that IL Is not an
essential part of the contact of the
war, but is an ingrained character
istic of our opponents shortsighted
policy. Just as no preparation was
made for war in 1914.1915, or 1916,
just so in 1918 is no preparation
being made for peace. Against this
fatuous ease we declare a con-
structive opposition.
Our party projects its vision into
the reconstruction period. Ut proposes
to take concrete account Of the very
many vital problems than will con-
front this nation once peace is de-
clared, not only our internal prob
lens which will bear most heavily up
on us for solution, but Of IKE impor-
lance, the new problems, foreign as
Iyet TO our experience, which this ma
ton must solve as an essential ele-
ment of its new destiny as a world
power. We have pledged our blood,
our wealth, our industry to free from
militaristic tyranny the people of
the earth. Phrases will not accom-
piish this, and not even victories up
on the battle field will accomplish 1t
unless behind these victories stand
sane, practical business-like pro-
gram fit 10 meet on equal business
terms the programs of all European
nations.
We are as unprepared for peace as
we were for war.
Though this country is today riding
the high-tide of gigantic war pre-
paration, it is nevertheless under its
ipresent government still ''watchfully
waiting" ''Watchfully waiting" is no
less fallacious now than in 1915 and
1915. The fact that the pilots horizon
has enlarged from the borders Of
Mexico to the confines of the wide
world does not decreas, but rather
increases. the iniquity of this peace
full ineptitude. A greater shame than
any of the past will presently be upon
an