The Washington times., 1920-11-04
|URGESHARD|NG
BE SWORN IN
Would Have Marshall Name Him
to State Portfolio and
Then Resign.
WOULD ADVANCE PEACE
Nebraska. Statesman Feels Re-
tirement of President Justi-
ed by Election Results.

CHICAGO, Nov. 4.APresident-
elect Warren G. Harding should be-
come President as soon as possible,
and President Wilson's resignation
and Harding's appointment as Sec
retary of State by Vice President
Marshall, followed by Marshalrs
resignation in turn, should accom-
plish this, according to a statement
made here today by William Jen-
nings Bryan.
"Mr. Wilson should resign at
once" Bryan said. Then Mr.. Mar
shall, as soon as Congress convenes,
should name Mr.. Harding Secretary
Of State and himself resign. so that
Mr.. Harding may become President
at the earliest possible moment and
carry through a definite plan for
peace
Bryan arrived in Chicago to spesk
in Oak Park this evening.
Mr.. Bryan earlier in the day had
written tiie following comment on the
election:
While the majorities are larger than
even the Republican leaders expected, n
Democratic defeat was inevitable. and
the blame is easily placed.
The President laid the foundations
for the disaster. and Governor Cox COM
pleted the structure.
BLAMEs 1T ON WILSON.
The President attempted to drive
out Of public life every Democrat who
dared to differ from him even In min
ute details. while he made no ef-
fort to strengthen the Democrats who
made him the keeper OF their con-
science. He alienated all Republican
support and invited partisan opposi-
tion by his appeal. just before the
election of 1918. for a Congress that
would support his personal leader
ship, and then, though knowing full
well that the majority in the nation
was against him. he refused to deal
with the Senate as a coordinate
branch OF the Government
"INsIsTED ON DICTATION."
Instead of recognizing that the con-
stitutio provision requiring a two
thirds majority for ratification COM
PEELED compromise. he insisted upon
debating the terms upon which
ratification could be had. and then.
on the 10th of March. stubbornly re-
jected ratification with reservations
: even when Senator Harding and some
35 other Republicans were willing to
accept the League az he wrote 1t with
the few changes upon which they In
sisted.
BY thus preventing ratification the
President assumed responsibility for
the nations failure to enter the
League and thrust the League into
the campaign as partisan issue.
The people. confronted with the
choice between Presidential infalli-
bility and respect for the opinion OF
the majority of the Senate. naturally
chose the latter, and the Democratic
party by indorsing the Presidents
position invited the defeat that has
overtaken 1t.
.COx AGGRAVATED SITUATION"
Governor Cox. instead of repairing
the injury done by the President. ag-
gravated the situation by the manner
in which he avoided domestic issues
and misreprcsented the position of the
Republican party on the League issue,
which he declared to be paramount.
He lodged the liquor question. seek
ing to create in the West the impress
sion that he favored prohibition,
while attempting to hold the wet vote
of the East by his wet record. He
sought to conciliate Wall Street by
advocating the repeal of the excess
profits tax. while he appealed to the
West against the reactionaries. HIS
attempt to put the Democratic party
In the attitude OF being the sole guar.
dian of peace was ridiculous, and his
assaults upon such well-known ad-
vocates OF peace as ex-Prcsident Taft
and Herbert Hoover were disgraceful.
"PREsENTED WRONG ISSUE
The American people want the Gov
ernment to play its part In the aboii-
tion Of war, but they are Indifferent
as to whether we are part OF q league
or part OF an association OF nations.
There is nothing in a name, but every
thing In n sentiment.
The real Issue presented by the
| Democratic party was not whether we
| should assume moral obligation
! interested In peace, but whether we
should assume moel obligation
which had no weight, except as II sus-
| pended the right of Congress to act
independently when the time arrived
/ for action. The nation will do It's
/ part In aiding to prevent war. but II
will not surrender into the keeping ef
any foreign group the right to deter
4 mine when we shall declare war.