The Rice belt journal., 1919-06-14
DEMOCRATS OPEN
1920 CAMPAIGN
aggressive Fight for Presidency
Promised by Leaders
of the Party.
SHOW SPIRIT OF CONFIDENCE


Representative Women From All Sec
tions Of the Country Present at
Meeting of the National Com
mittees at Chicago.
The formal opening guns for the
presidential campaign of 1920 were
fred at Chicago ON May % and % at
gathering of the Democratic Ma
tional committee, the Associate Wom-
ans National committee and many
chairmen and secretaries Of state com
mittees. Members of President Will
sons cabinet and other notable party
leaders were present, and while
sounding keyDotes took occasion to
vigorously denOunce the Republican
leaders for the character Of their at
tacks, as well as to cab attention to
Democratic achievements during the
last eight years.
The participation Of the women, for
the first time, in the national councils
of the party brought representatives
from all sections Of the country, ana
on the occasion of the banquet they
divided the Orat0riCal h0norS with
men of political note for many years
There was no lack Of confidence on
the part of men or women. The lat
ter, while hoping for universal suf-
frage in the election of 1920, pledged
the Democrats those western suffrage
states that played such an important
part in 1916. The general effect OF
the meeting was TO sound the tocSin
for an aggressive war from now on,
in which q tour to every debatable
state west of the Mississippi river, by
Homer S. Cummings, national chair
man, will form an important part.
There was not a Democratic leader
present who did not leave Chicago
convinced that a vigorous counter
attack would be made on the Repub-
licans.
Republicans Reactionary.
Terming the Republican party zone
that complains and moves back
ward" and the peace treaty and the
League of Nations covenant as the
'greatest document of human liberty
ever prepared" Chairman Cum
mings on his arrival in Chicago start
ed things moving briskly. Striking
smartly at the Republican "Old
Guard" he said: SIT is manifest that
the Republican party has again fallen
under reactionary leadership. The
choice Of the committee heads In the
recently organized house Of represent
atives is very discouraging to every
progressive American, while the elec
ton of Senator PenrOse to head the
finance committee of that body indi
Gates the type of leadership to which
the Republican party is committed"
The banquet held on the evening OF
May 90 was the occasion of addresses
by Mr.. Cummings, Attorney General A
Mitchell Palmer, and Franklin d
Roosevelt, assistant secretary Of the
navy.
In speaking of Republican Islander
Mr.. Cummings was loudly applaudeC
when he said that "As / read the re
ports of these speeches of strict anG
unrelenting partisanship ] wonder
what phrases of abuse, what language
of vituperatiOn, what invectiye, what
recital of blunders and crimes would
havesagitated the political atmosphere
if the president of the United States
had led the country to a disastrous
conclusion Of an unsuccessful war
Every epithet of reproach already has
beer exhausted in an attempt to dis
credit the leadership of America.
president at time when Americas
prestige was never greater, Americas
power never so vast, and Americas
success never so tranScendent. Tht
campaign of SANDER, which is the very
spume of politics, has been reserved
for Americas greatest leader in the
hour of Americas greatest triumph
To listen to the spOkeSmen of the Re
publican organization is to gather the
impression that America lost the wal
and has been forced into a discredit
able peace, humiliating to all lovers
of constitutional government and free
DOM"
Democratic Party's Record.
In refuting Oldtime Republican
claims that the Democratic party was
sectional, lacked experience in leader
ship, was committed to free trade, in
capable of providing revenue, insin
cere in professions of friendship FOL
labor, inimical to the farmer, an en-
emy to legitimate business and in
capable of carrying on a war, Attor
ney General Palmer paid tribute Il
President Wilson by saying:
'sThey said the Democratic party
lacked the experience in training il
craftsmanship which made for con
structive leadership In solving The
complicated problems on the far-funs
line of your governmental activities