Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-04
lREPUBLICANISM DEMANDS
MILITANT LEADERSHIP

3tfH WILL AIN LLADLNoII
THERE is a great establishment in this
district devoted to the manufacture of
munitions. Tear down a brick partition
and It becomes n vast locomotive making
plant. The Republican party in its in
fancy was fated to be war party Func.
stioning as such it freed the slaves and
saved the Union. Appomattox ripped open
wall and the party became at once n
mighty economic organism, advocating and
4 putting into practice policies which were
destined to rescue the nation from its COM
Darative impotence and poverty. What
Republlcanism did after the war was
comparable in its magnificent results with
what it did during the war. 1t first saved
the Union by force Of arms 1t then saved
II and remado it by force of economic
policies.
Repubicanism is the foster mother of
X prosperity. Its hold on the nation is the
hold of definite policies which repeatedly
have vindicatcd themselves 1t is the
party that believes the national business
is the chief business of the nation, that
prosperity and trade are closely allied.
that the promotion of industry is the sure
road to happiness and comfort, that Il good
wage for the American workman and
fair profit for the American business man
are essential purposes Of national lesisa.
tion. This vision Of Republicanism as Il
great economic power a party that keeps
business going and has interest in the
problems Of business may he lost in the
determinations of factionalism. Men have
known and accepted Republcansm so
long that they fail to grasp the vital ne.
4 cessity for it or are too ready to compro,
mise with theories which over and agaii'
have proved to he ruinous in operation.
We do not believe that men who have
+ thousands of dollars invested in produce
tive enterprises or the thousands of men
who work for and get fair wage in such
enterprises, view with anything but alarm
Z the littleness and factionalism of Repub-
= who play poker I'm the crater of n volcano
3 and imagine that they are at 4 dinner
party. Pennsylvania is the citadel of Re-
publicanism but Democratic miners and
sappers are steadily at work. Not in
5 years have the Democrats approached a
eubernatorial fight with such fighting
chance Of success. The thanh of the Adj
ministration is ON every industry in the
4 commonwealth. The list Of Federal EN-.
ployes grows day by day. Certain com.
promises with demasNgy have temporarily
strengthened Democratic appeal Great
moral issues are in the ofiinp. \ now
4 longing is in mems hearts and new dreams
1fnpel them. Political revolution permeates
the air. Yet these petty factionalsts who
tpuse as leaders lock themselves in their
closets and continue their secret politics
Are they so In love with May that they
have no eyes for November?
We say to party men everywhere that
y the campaign this year in this Common
wealth is fraught with tremendous conse.
quences. The loss of Pennsylvania would
mean probably long period of economic
experimentation in national affairs after
the war, at the most critical period in the
trade history Of the world That experi.
nientation in the hands of free.traders and
4 theorists would inevitably be disastrous.
"a blunder therefore, in PENNSYLVANIA. lead.
ing to q series of blunders thereafter would
be ruinous to many industries and almost
fatal to others. 1t is OF the most vital
1{nportance that Republicans present this
4Xaor united front, that they forget fac.
klonniism. that they put forward as their
EE4ndidates the best men available in the
iEoumonwealth, that they inject into their
<fq0nctls the wisdom OF the older days and
IQe cpmpelling energy that formerly char.
ef}erjzed the conduct OF campaigns, that
e they Rttune themselves conservatively TO
& ~ march of events. rejecting nothing be-
fhpso It Is new and cllnging to nothing
&forx Issue the acid test,
= say these things are necessary un-
calamity Is to be invited and defeat
tmcd. party which Is mere fac.
teannot hold Pennsylvania. The fight
x4ar must be neither for Penrose nor
IRE. but for the militant Republican
blch formerly led the nation out of
oeert and the guiding hand OF which
again appear In national affairs in
pe1o1 Of new internationalism which