New-York tribune., 1920-10-22

streets of Rochester. When he had
finished his prepared address at Con-
vention Hall he descended TO the base
ment and talked to them for few
minutes, as none Of the company had
been able to squeeze into the hall to
hear him.
Senator Harding, at Rochester, said
in part:
"lt is unnecessary to expose the alb
surdlty of the Democratic position in
the League of Nations, and it is hardly
necessary to repeat the Republican po-
sition as to our future way. Surely the
American people cannot take seriously
the Democrat insistence that the Paris
covenant shall still be considered, as
platform and candidates insist, for ac-
ceptance as it stands. Such rejection
has been twice recorded. The constitu-
tional spokesmcn for the people, per-
forming sworn duty, have twice re-
jected that proposal, and they reject it
now. SO do | as one of them. I have
repeatedly spoken such rejection from
the day of accepting my nomination TO
this very hour with unfailing consis-
tency. And | have not been speaking
so much for myself as l have been
speaking for a free people, resolved to
remain free.
"But I have never stopped there.
challenge contradiction; | invite any
mans parallel of utterances which are
not in accord. | have unfailingly said
that we wish to associate with other
nations to end war and promote and
preserve peace. The other nations of
the world are wiser than our political
opponents. They have accepted the
fact that there is no hope of uniting
Americans or even a very substantial
minority behind the impossible pro-
posal that we should accept the cove
nant as written. The foreign nations
have set their faces to The future. So
must America; so must every friend Of
the new and better order.
off | believed in attempting to ex-
press the purpose Of the American
people before being clothed with au-
thority to consult them, if desired to
dictate to foreign nations, it would be
possible for me to suggest new
league and say to the nations of the
earth and to my native countrymen,
Take this or take nothing But am
not that kind of candidate. l believe
in consulting the American people, in
fact as we'll as theory. I still believe
in constitutional government and have
seen some of the failures which came
OI uOuIlnS IL. realize muCn more
than ever before the failure which
came Of ignoring the Senate. I can
see NO great service in fixing upon a
plan and then refusing to change it..
Our business is to invite American
opinion and find way to national
accomplishm
"Thcreforc, from the beginning
have said that, first of all, l would con-
suit the American people, the best
minds in America, the most represen-
tative minds in America, including
women, including so far as possible
everybody. and because the Constitu-
tion requires it | should advise and
consult with the Senate of the United
States. l have had no doubt about this
policy. 1t may not be the policy Of the
one-nan fornl of a democracy, but | am
against one-man democracy. On the
other hand | have stated clearly and
often that | believed it possible to
unite America behind an association of
nations, based not upon the mlitarsm
and the concealed armed alliance which
turks in the present Paris league, but
upon an association founded upon the
force of justice"