Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-30
6. 0. P. FROWNS ON
ITS OWN PRINCIPLES
According to Charles w. Eliot,
Writing in the Current Issue
of the Atlantic Monthly.

As it's leading editorial the New York
World today prints the following under
the caption Degrading a Nation.
The Republican Party has turned its
back on its own principles of 1850 and
l9lS" Thus writes the venerable Charles
W Eliot in the current issue Of the Atlantic
Monthly.
DR. Eliot adds by way of further COM
ment: This deplorable change of front
is deep modification and distress to all
patriotic Americans, Republican or Dem
ocratic, and particularly those who
emember the political ideals which the
Republican Party was founded to contend
for and which il led to glorious victories. ,"
As II TO emphasize DIR. Eliots caustic
criticism. Senator Harding said In his
speech at Wheeling Tuesday night:
IL was not present when the Senate
passed the war resolution, but | know
what il conveyed, | know what 1t means,
and we did not go to war to make the
world safe for democracy We did not go
To war even for humanity's sake"
Trcvclvan remarked of George III that
''he could never forgive politician for
taking the right course unless 1t was from
a wrong motive Senator Harding hum
self had no part in voting the declaration
Of war against Germany but he is viii
ling 20 justify II provided it IS agreed
that the motives of the American people
were sordid and materialistic. On that bas-
sis he might even forgive President VIII
son for his successful conduct of the war.
For the rest, Senator Harding refuses
10 concede that our dead died for any noble
and inspiring principle He refuses to
admit that the American people had any
exaltation of spirit; that they regarded
the war as an irrepressible conflict be-
tween freedom and autocracy, between
the doctrine of right and the doctrine of
might. To the Republican candidate it
was Just a row over some ships and sub
marines and a disputed Interpretation
oi the trading status of neutrals.
IfSenator Hsrdingis rightin his estimate
~ the motives of the American people
the war WAS a needless war Every life
that was lost was wasted and every dol
lsr that Was spent was wasted We could
have easily bargained with Germany
for protection. Both sides had violated
American rights on the high seas. and if
nothing mattered except the materialistic
aspects of the case, Germany had more
% offer than the allies.
The Kaiser could never understand the
attitude Of the American people toward
the war From his point Of view thew were
ftbltsllN blllll to tLtlT OWN interests. ne
thing for them TO do was TO pick quarrel
with Great Britain over the blockade
restrictions. 90 to war on the side Of tn
tral Powers and take Canada and all the
British possessions in the Western Hernis-
phere as their share OF the spoils That is
what any country would have done
which was concerned only with permanent
material advantages and not with morals.
The Kaiser was mistaken in his esti-
mate Of the American people, and Sen
ator Harding is also mistaken In fact.
we do not believe that the Senator him
self believes what he SAYS or that the
marvellous demonstration of devotion to
high principle which the American people
gave has been wholly lest on him. Even a
Republican Senator cannot be so calloused
70 the really fine things in American life.
But IN order TO sustain their opposition
10 the League Of Nations, the Republican
Senators have been compelled to sneer at
everything that resembles idealism and
high purpose in the affairs of the country.
They jeer ar ideals because ideals are
dangerous to the kind Of campaigns they
arr forced 10 conduct
They assume that the surest Way to
discredit President Wilson is to try to
drag the nation down to the lowest level
II political motive. That is why Senator
Harding tells the American people that
they went 20 war without single generous
impulse.