The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-06-30
THE TASK DEMOCRACY srrs ITSELF

II Chairman Cummings keynote speech Ia
sustained by convention action the task de-
mocracy sets itself Is a defense In detail OF
Woodrow Wilson. This was the privilege OF
the party That cannot he disputed Put II
was not It's imperative necessity. SO much be-
Ing true II is rather amazing that great con-
stitutional organization deliberately made the
choice Having gone far II In to he hoped
that the convention will write a platform In
keeping with the Cummings speech, set men
upon that platform consistent with Its declara-
tons. and thus frankly invite the American poo-
pie to make a clean cut decision.
The keynote OF tho keynote Is found In these
words:
The republican platform not only re-
pudiates the league OF nations, but praises
without discrimination all OF the republican
senators who participated In It's defeat
No blacker crime against clviIiza-
tion has ever soiled the pages OF our history.
That Is the declaration of the gentleman who
was selected by his party to sound the battle
cry Of the democratic party That is his declar-
alton concerning an issue that It's author and
all his friends asserted always, was not a parti-
san issue That is democraey's defense OF a
gentleman who defied precedent. appointed
himself to 80 abroad and write a treaty ig-
nored his fellow commissioners IN that work,
ceded to foreign nations sovereign rights Of his
own country, deliberately placed his country
In an association wherein n single other ma
tions had six votes to It's one pledged It to fight
the battles OF every nation on earth, then in
defiance OF public opinion at home gave To the
document thus prepared his own signature in
his own person and by his own rightful author
ity" and called Il the solemn pledge OF America
~ This Ia what democracy at Frisco as In
terpreted by Mr.. Cummings. pledges itself to
defend Not only that 1t pledges itself to
force this sovereign nation into that illcEitimatcly
conceived and foreign controlled association OF
nations yet II It is accorded the governing man
date, And Il calls the action OF the republican
and democratic senators who stood firmly
against the monstrous proposal the biackest
crime In all history"
One will search the keynote speech OF Chair
man Cummings in vain for any reference to tho
ancient teachings of democracy They are not
there. And they would be incongruous ii they
were To pay even a verbal tribute to the names
of Thomas jefferson, of Andrew Jackson or OF
a cause would provoke derlsion.
In two other respects the keynote speech ia
marvellous. II unsparingly condemns all in.
profligate II not criminal waste OF money poured
into the Golfers OF the administration by u pa
triotlc people, On this point tho able speaker
says
There are men small In spirit so
pitlfully crampod tn soul that they suggest
that the war cost too much
II is impossible to bring to the consideration
of such an amazing statement the dignity Of
debate, Let ii stand In all Its hideous sugges-
tions. II does rinI consistent with the admin
istration's fren2ied opposition TO the creation
OF congressional committee TO supervise war
expenditures No defense Of the record of
wanton waste, OF the utter dsregard OF the
peoples money that they sacrificing them
selves to raise, and that found no uobler pur.
pose TIM to make millionaires OF scores OF next
friends Of the administration
Not n word about the millions ana millions
Of dollars worth OF mechanical equipment that
rusted 10 pieces on the various fields in this
country and abroad; OF the Eagle boat
fasco OF friend Henry, nor OF the worse than
failure of the air craft scandal.
To consider these things--to attempt to pun
ssh cupidity and criminality is the office Of