The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-06-06

EQUALLY SACRED - SACREDLY
EQUAL"

EQUAL
Washington, June 3.-(Special cor
respondence)-"Fellow Republicans" )"
was the greeting of Senator Cummins
of Iowa, in his speech before the Re-
publican dinner recently given in
Washington under the auspices of the
Republican women's national executive
committee. And those two words
were received with storm of ap-
plause. Throughout the entire even
ing it was made plain that the wom-
ems organization was not to be con-
sidered separate and distinct from
that of the men, but was to be part
and parcel of the Republican organi-
cation without discrimination. "There
is but one. rule for a political party"
National Chairman Will H. Hays,
"and that is that the rights of the
individual membership to participate
in the management of the party's af-
fairs must be and remain equally sac
red and sacredly equal. The Repub-
lican women in this country are part
of the party membership"
The conference was called for the
purpose of perfecting plans for the
campaign of 1920, and weld the two
sexes into one organization devoted to
the single purpose of overthrowing
dictatorship and re-establishing con-
stitutional government.
Mrs. Medill Mccormick, daughter
of that redoubtable Republican leader
of other days, Mark Hanna, of Ohio,
presided, and Miss Mary Garret Hay,
of New York, acted as toast mistress.
It was dry dinner, Of course, but
Miss Hays effervesent with did moro
to enliven the evening than Pommery
sec could have done. Mrs. McCor-
mick made an Introductory speech
voicing her pride of female accom-
plishment in recent Republican
achievement, and Speaker Gillett, of
the House of Representatives, beinA
introduced by Miss Hay, made the
opening speech. Mr.. Gillett called at
tention to the decentralization which
had been brought about by the Presi-
dents delay in calling an extra ses-
sion. He proved conclusively the fault
of the last Democratic House for fail
ure to appropriate the $39, ,000,0 nee
essary to pay soldiers allotments, as
a consequence of which 100000 fami-
lies in the country have received no
settlements since April. The Demo
cratic party had full control of all
first of December to the last of Feb
ruary, but did not provide this sum,
and they have since attempted to
blame it to the Republican party,
which was in the minority at the time.
Mr.. Gillett stated that in going over
the army appropriation bill prepared
by the Democrats, mistakes had been
found aggregating $780,OOO,000, which
must needs be rectified in the coming
bill He took fling at the saturna-
liza of waste and extravaganza which
is now being engaged in by the ad-
ministration, and paraphrasing line
from the Sermon on the Mount he
said BLESSED are the peacemakers,
for they shall see Paris"
He was followed by Senator Cum
Minis, president pro TEN of the Sen
ate. Mr.. Cummins sternly rebuked
the administration for its ruthless.
march toward autocracy. "For six
years." he charged, "there has been
a continuous, determined effort in the
executive department to acquire all
the powers Of government save only
judicial authority, and even that has
not entirely escaped unwarrantable
interference. 1t seems to have been
assumed that Congress exists only for
the purpose of formally registering
the desires and giving technical vail
dity to the DEGREES Of the executive"
and he declared it to be the first duty
Of the Republican party to return to
the Constitution and keep the Presi-
dent within his lawful activity. 81
am willing to help in every proper
way" said Mr.. Cummins, and thel.
taking slap at the league of nations
proposal, 81 have not yet advanced to
that stage of internationalism which
counts it a greater honor to be a citi-
zen Of the world than to be citizen of
the United States" AS he completed
this sentence the entire audience arose
and applauded vigorously. Mr.. Cum
Minis was followed by Chairman Hays,
who gave some sound advice as to the
need for greater interest in politics,
and the banquet was over.