Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-03-04
AN ELDER STATESMAN

Mr. Elihu Roots address at the
convention of New York state repdb-
licans was UNNECESSARILY instructive
and inspiring to the members OF that
party, and will doubtless serve, as it
certainly should, to indicate very
largely their policy and issues in the
forthcoming national campaign. Re-
publicans could have no sounder
counsel than that which he gave
them, none more likely to assure
them party advantage none more GER
tain to be of patriotic advantage to
the nation. 1t is, however, as some
thing more than a mere party call
to action that the speech deserves at
tention. In making it Mr.. Root
rose, as he is we'll capable of doing,
above the status of party politician
to that of an Elder Statesman of the
nation; like some of those Japanese,
from whom we have borrowed this
phrase, who having filled the highest
offices of that state and having no
further offices to seek or to fill, give
of the fulness of their experience and
ripeness of their judgment for the
general good of the nation.
we should inded regret to be COM
PEELED to think that upon some OF the
chief points in his admirable address
there were many Americans of any
party who disagreed with Mr.. Root
Take, for example, one which he him
self regarded as perhaps the most
important of all, the need OF our get
ting back to our republican form OF
government and ending the dictator
ship which we created in order to
carry on the war. The fact that we
did create a virtual dictatorship is
indisputable, and to dissent from Mr.
Roots urging would be to say that
we should practically abandon re-
publicanism for dictatorship. OF
course by republican and republican
ism no reference is intended to the
political party for which and to
which Mr. Root was speaking, but
rather to the national principle of re-
publican government which was the
ideal of the revolution. Nor is 1t
to be disputed that, as he said, 1t is
not human nature to relinquish
readily power once possessed. To
say that is not to reproach or to con-
denim the president. II is merely
to suggest, most fittingly and most
considerably, that the power which
conferred the special war dictator
ship should take the prompt initia-
tive in withdrawing It, and not wait
for the voluntary remuneration of 1t.
Again, turning to an entirely diff
ferent phase of affairs, Mr.. Root en-
phasiZed the point that while of
course we should not attempt to
abolish the right to strike, we should
by law restrain the exercise of that
right within limits where ii win not
conflict with the superior right of the
community to self-preservation. 1t
is impossible to conceive any
thoughtful and loyal American as
dissenting from that Judgment;
since the alternative would be to in
sist upon the right of men to strike
for the destruction of the commun-
fty, state and nation. OF course the
very existence of community, state or
nation predicates the supreme right
of self-preservation. In the asser-
tion of that right the community
mover hesitates to'limit the rights of
capital, of property; insisting that
the owner of property shall arbitrar-
lily relinquish his title to a part of it
whenever the community needs it for
it's own purposes. If il is lawful to
say to men, YOU shall surrender a
, certain part of your property, or of
your income, for the common good,
It is no less lawful and just and
equitable to say, you shall surrender