Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-02-20
ROOT OUTLINES
PLATFORM IDEAS
FOR REPUBLICANS
Decentralization Of Executive
Powers Conferred by War.
Ratification Of Peace
Treaty With Senate Amend
ments Long Before Election.

HCdty Ufu oCiidtc hiiicifu
ments Long Before Election.
New York. Feb. 20.-Elihu Root
outlined at the republican state con-
vention here the platform upon which
he believes the party should go to the
polls in November Most striking of
his proposals were;
Decentralization of the executive
powers which have made the president
more autocratic than any sovereign in.
the civilized world"
Ratification of the peace treaty with
senate amendments long before the
elections"
Reform of the league of nations
covenant by congress of nations at
the call of "a republican president
after March 4, 1921" to
establish 'the rule of public right
rather than the rule of mere expedi-
ency."
Rigid governmental economy and
the adoption of an executive budget.
Limitation of the right to strike at
a point where it conflicts with self
Of the community; estab-
lshment of labor tribunal with pow
er to enforce its mandates
Opening Gun of Campaign.
Revision of the system of taxation
.....uI..o,. 41,o 4o..ieeY
"Americanzation and the elimina-
tion of lot of bolsheviki or bolshivik
sympathizers" from public office.
Universal military training,
Mr.. Roots address was regarded as
the opening gun of the campaign,
More important than all, MIR. Root
said, SIS the necessity that we shall re-
store our republican form of govern
ment, with the liberty of the indlvid-
ual citizen preserved by limitations
upon official power, and put an end to
the dictatorship.
The reservations adopted by the
senate" he insisted, remedy, so far as
the United States is concerned, the
tHltI ObJNtt- " lllC iva ilN9
prevent our entrance into the league
of nations from being an abandonment
Of the Monroe doctrine, with irrespar-
able injury to the United States and
no benefit to the rest of the world"
Especially important, asserted Mr..
Root, is that they prevent the In
credible mistake" of article ten. The
agreement in that article ito preserve
as against external aggression the
territorial integrity and existing po-
ltical independence of all members of
the league he argued, binds the
United States when occasion arises 10
defend every member of the league by
armed force against external aggre-
sion, mo matter what our people at
the time think about the right and
wrong of the controversy or about the
wisdom or folly Of entering upon it.
at seems clear to me that in tno
interests of the worlds peace, which
also America desires to promote, this
treaty ught to be ratified with tine
reservations of the senate and that
without those reservations in their fair
and honest substance, 1t ought not to
be ratified. | hope the treaty will be
ratified with the reservations long be-
fore the presidential election. That
will be done IL the president permits
it. If that is not done then that Is
what think the republican party
ought to stand for.
Immediately after the fourth pt
March, 1921, a republican president
should urge upon the society of nations
the reform of the league covenant, 50
as TO make it establish the rule of pub
lice right rather than the rule OF mere
expediency, so as to make the peace OF
the world rest primarily upon law ana
upon the Effectiveness and enforcement
NJ law. A congress of all nations
should be called to consider and de-
clare what of international law still re-
main of binding force and to provide
for the further development and eX-
tension of that law and for the appli-
cation of the law to all justiciaDie
cases of controversy between nations
by impartial judicial tribunals and to
make the decisions Of such tribunals
upon questions Of fact and upon ques-
tions of law binding and effective
That is the old American doctrine and
that is the necessary method Of de-
mocracles, for democracies which we
created, in order to carry on the war
By a series of statutes unprecedented
in scope and liberality, with singleness
NJ nurpose and patriotic devotion
worthy Of all praise, the American
n eople conferred upon the president
movers broader and more autocratic
than were possessed by any sovereign
in the civilized world
peace has come, in fact, II not
technically; but the war powers of the
executive still continue. They should
be broght to an end. 1t Is not a
simple thing, for new conditions have
been created, which should be dealt
with at the same time by new statutes
ADAPTED to the conditions Of peace and
subject to the limitations upon power
of our constitutional system.
There is a double important pur-
pose TO be served. one, to restore the
habit Of freedom. II is dangerous for
a people to acquire the habit Of bow
ing 10 power without limits They
soon become subservient. and then
character essential to freedom degen-
crates. The other is to stop a multi
tude of interference. ill-judged, al
though well meant. with the natural
course OF business through which
alone natural laws can operate to re
store normal conditions"