Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-29
Chairman of Democratic Ma
tlOnal Committee Delivers
Keynote Speech At Open
ing of Frisco Convention.


icy MORNING JouRs-L SPECIAL LEASED wIss,
San Francisco. June 2S.-The
following keynote speech was de-
livered by Homer s. Cummings
chairman of the democratic ma
tional committee. before the ma
tional convention here today:
Ladies and, Gentlemen of the Con-
vention:
At this high hour when the des-
TIMES not only Of political parties
but of peoples are at stake; when
social unrest Is everywhere APP
parent; when existing forms of
government are being challenged,
and their very foundations dis
turbed or swept away, it is we'll
for us, here in America, to pause
for a period of solemn deMbera-
tion.
We, who assemble in this great
convention, counsel together, not
merely as members of a party, but
as children of the republic Love
of country and devotion to human
service should purge our hearts of
all unworthy or misleading mo-
tives. Let us fervently pray for Il
Divine blessing upon all that we
do or undertake. Let us pledge
ourselves anew to equality of OPP
portunity; the unity of our country
above the interests of groups or
classes: and the maintenance of
the high honor of America in her
dealings with other nations.
The people will shortly deter
mine which political Instrumental
ity is best suited to their purposes,
most responsive to their needs.
They will have before them many
platforms and many promises. In
what direction will they turn?
There is no better way of judging
the future than by the past. We
ask, therefore, that the people
turn from the passions and the
prejudices Of the day to the con-
sideration of record as clear as
1t is enduring.
Republican Leadership.
The republican party was unsuc-
cessful in the elections of 1912 be
cause it had persistently served
special interests and had lost touch
with the spirit of the time. Those
who controlled its destiny derived
their political inspiration from the
good old days of Mark Hanna" and
neither desired a new day nor were
willing to recognize a new day
when It had dawned. To each
pressing problem they sought
merely to reapply the processes or
antiquity.
There were elements In the re-
publican party which were intol,,
Grant Of its mental sloth and moral
responsibility. These influences
sought to gain party control IN
1912 and AGAIN in 1916. They re
newed the hopeless struggle at the
convention recently held at chi
Despite these efforts, the leaders
who have manipulated the party
mechanism for more than a s'h-
GRAFTON are still in undisputed con-
:-c,. , nam
The republican platform, reac-
tionary and provincial, is the very
apotheosis of political expedlency.
Filled with premeditated sIanders
and vague promises, 1t Will De
searched in vain for one construc-
tive suggestion for the reformation
nj the conditions which 1t criticlses
and deplores. The oppressed peo-
ples of the earth will look to II IN
vain. It contains no message OF
hone for ireland; no word Of mercy
for Armenia; and 1t conceais
sword for Mexico 1t is the work
NJ men concerned more with mat
terial things than with human
rights, 1t contains no thought, no
nurpose which can give impulse or
thrill to those who love liberty ana
hone TO make the world safer ana
happier place for the average man.
Democratic Achievements.
The democratic party is an unen-
tangled party-a free party-oW-
ing no allegiance to any class OF
group or special interest. we were
able to take up and carry through
to success the great progressive
program outlined in our platform
of 1912. During the months when
interviewed between March 4, 1918
and the outbreak Of the world war
we placed upon the statute DOCKS
of our country more effective, con-
structive and remedial legislation
than the republican party had
placed there in a generation.
The income tax was made per-
manent part of the revenue pro-
ducing agencies of the country,
thereby relieving our law of the re-
proach of being unjustly BURDEN
some to the poor. The eXtrava.
pances and inequities of the tarlfI |
system were removed; and nom
nartisan tariff commission was es- ,
tablished so that future revislons
might be made in the light OF ac-
curate information, scientifically
and impartially obtained. Fan,
&mericanism was encouraged; ana
the bread thus cast upon the inter-
national waters came back 10 US
many fold. The great reaches OF
Alaska were opened up to COM
merce and development. Dollar
dinlomacy was destroyed. A cor
r,nt lobby was driven from the
national capitol An effective sea
mans act was adopted. The leu
ersl trade commission was created.
child labor legislation was enact
cd The parcel post and rural fres
delivery were developed. A COCA
roads bill and a rural credits act
were nassed. A secretary OF labor
was given a seat in the cabinet OF
the president. Eight hour laws
were adopted. The Clayton amend
,nent to the Sherman antitrust
act was passed, freeing American
labor and taking it from the cate
cory NJ commodities. The Smith.
lever bill for the improvement OF
agricultural conditions was enact, act.
ed. A corrupt practice act was
adopted. A. we'll considered ware ware
house act was passed. Fedora
employment bureaus were created a,ttn.
Farm loan banks, postal savings
banks and the federal reserve sys-
stem were established.
These enactments, and many
other provisions of a remealaa,
had cleansing anu
effect upon the economic
life OF our country. the iarner
was freed from the deademns e
Rvo nnial control, |