The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-01


To THE New York HERALD: The rain,
bow chascrs are contributing to the
gayety of nations by magnifying TIN
importance OF the hut of some Republi
cans. chiefly Of local Importance, because
they are supporting Mr.. Wilson's League
of Nations. and for one do not object
Yet I must in the interest of history In.
auire how their bolt compares with the
bolt of giants from the Republican party
In 1872. Arbitration. which has made
Senator Harding's association of ma.
lions possible. was one OF the main fac
tors in rejecting Grant. because the
Republican party handled 1t right and
against the ideas OF rainbow dlasers-
Horace Greeley. the Presidential can
didate of the Liberal Republicans and
the Democratic gocart. was the editor
OF the New York Tribune, which had
been until that campaign the Republi-
can Bible. Charles Francis Adams. his
chief competitor for the nomination In
the Cincinnati convention, was one of
the diplomats whom the European diplo-
mats could not bluff.
Charles Sumner was the most schol-
arly man in the United States Senate.
Lyman Trumbu1l was ranked in the Sem
ate vita william Pitt Fessenden and
other intellectual giants. Carl Schurz,
another Senator, was the leading Ger
man-American and the first professional
reformer Of his day. Other Senators and
Representatives in Congress also left
the Republican party.
vrvun q NJ 1oc
lights, including Reuben q. Fenton. one
time Governor of New York State and
Senator. and Samuel Bowles, editor of the
Springfield Republican. A. X. Mcclure
OF the Philadelphia Times, John W. For
ney of the Philadelphia Press, and other
prominent editors took their papers over
to Greeley. eChauncey M. Depew is.
believe, about the only distinguished
survivor of that bolt. Nearly all Of
the boilers, like our Chauncey, came
back.
One OF the causes of the annihiiation
of the Greeley movement Is OF pertinent
takes" were the leading issue, arbitra-
ton was powerful factor in reflect
ing Grant.
He conceived simple but practical
plan to settle our dispute with Great
Britain over the damages done to our
Union shipping by the Confederate
cruiser Alabama. His proposition was
that arbitration should be established
as principle to settle the trouble, and
that financial considerations should be
a secondary question, to be decided by
the court OF arbitration.
But Sumner, the leader OF the IDEAL
lists. conceived programme which came
perilously near involving the United
States and Great Britain In a war. He
insisted that as a prerequisite condition
to the establishment OF arbitration we
should demand that Great Britain give
all of Canada and the Bahama Islands
to us and pay us besides the enormous
sum of 0,000,0 900 for direct and indi-
rect damages which he claimed the Ala
bama had caused to our shipping.
Sumner got hold of the wrong end
of the case, Just as Mr.. Wilson did
when the latter insisted on forcing his
League on the Allies before they had
settled Oh the terms Of peace with Ger
many. The American people. with that
clarity of vision which distinguishes them.
saw that Grant was right. He was fol-
lowing Lincoln's method Of taking one
thing at time, and the big thing first.
That was one reason why Grant was re-
elected and arbitration was successfully
established.
Mr.. Wilson was Infinitely more wrong
headed than Sumner. The American
people see clearly that wisconsin means
a superinternational union. So they
prefer to trust Harding.
And where are the rainbow chasers
now? The last I heard of them the
doctor professors among them were gaz-
ing with admiration on the Geneva
Council. in which we would have one
or two back seats, ana overlooking that
distressing spectacle of Mr.. Jimmy Cox
promising, with the beads Of perspira-
ton on his brow. all the reservations
the country might ask. while Mr.. Tum-
ulty Ia chasing out of the White House
after him to tell him that the Master
wants him to recite his lesson as he
learned It.
Thanks, rainbow chasers. my sense Of
humor Is restored DR. SfxrAx.
New York, October 80.