The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-10-06
Editorial
of the Day
INFORMING MIR. PIEZ

] Niioii tlt ohilulStc ptfnOcrall
One Charles Piez, who is described
in the Official Bulletin of September
%, rs President of the Link Belt
Company of Chicago. general man
ager of the Emergency Fleet Corpora
ton and chairman Of the Chicago
financial campaign in connection with
the presidential election" wants in
formation. He asks:
Are Democratic voters purchasable
and at what price per head? Can
I they be purchased in sufficient mum.
bers and at a sufficiently moderate
price so that the Republican party
can buy the presidency? These are
the issues which Governor Cox has
injected into the campaign, and to
which he has subordinated all of our
foreign and domestic problems to
which the war left us heir"
The above inquiry was made at
the treasurer's office Of the Republi-
can national committee, which sug-
gests the possibility Mr.. Piez is not
as ignorant as he appears. He went
to the right place for information.
Since, however. the question is ad-
dressed to the public through the
medium of the Official Bulletin, we
make bold to answer the several di-
ability as follows:
Touching the first inquiry to-wit:
"Are Democratic voters purchasable
and at what price perhcad?" the in
quiry is respectfully referred to SEN
ator Truman II. Newberry of Michi-
gan. an expert witness Of the Repub-
lican persuasion. who can furnish de-
tailed information on both questions.
including the checks containing the
names of the buyers and the re-
spectacle considerations paid to each.
1t ought not to be difficult to check
up the politics Of the patriots concern.
ed
Touching the second inquiry, name
ly. "Can they be purchased in usff-
cient numbers and at a sufficiently
moderate price SO that the Repub
lican party can buy the presidency"
The answer to this question would
require more space than we have at
our disposal. Nor have we any de-
sire TO inject ourselves further into
the matter than to refer to some ad-
ditional witness who can throw some
light on the question. Senator Borah
believed that two of the leading can
didates for the Republican nomina-
tion for president were trying to buy |
the nomination by the lavish and cor
rupt use OF money. Senator Borah in !
troduced n resolution in the United |
States senate authorizing an inquiry |
into the subject. Gov. Lowden retired |
under fire and General Leonard Wood .
was retired nolcns voens, because
both We're shown to have used money
in such excessive amounts that it
raised a presumption of fraud and
bribery.
We may add, parenthetically tnat
all the votes bought in the presiden
iial campaign thus far, are Republi-
can votes-bought and paid for by
Or for Republican candidates for the
prcSluenlEll NOMINATION..
So much for the purchasability of
votes and voters. ON these issues
Governor Cox has Injected into the
something to which "all
the foreign and domestic questions
which the war has left us" might
Well be subordlnated, If they are not.
When the time comes. il IL ever does
come, that the presidency of the
United States is available 10 The high
st bidder. no one will be disposed
10 inquire into the nationality Of
he purchaser or his relation to the
questions of foreign III domestic
government.
Yes, Mr.. Pie2, the Republican party
AN buy the presidency-has bought
{. One classic instance occurred
n the year 1876. Not only is the
party able and willing to
my the presidency, but. If the evil
lence OF great Republican ex.pres!-
lent Is admissible in "A Republican
curt. is not aversc to an attempt To
teal the presidency on occasion. We
luote the language Of the late Theo-
lore Roosevelt writing In the Century
Magazine for October, 1913:
1T is utterly hopeless To expect
my sincerity Of devotion to any prin-
lple Of concern TO the people as a
whole from "A party the machinery, OF
which is usurped and help by the
lowers that prey, in the political and
business world, and this has been the
ase with the Republican party since
he bosses In June. 1919, at Chicago
tolc from the rank and file their
light To make their own platform
nd nominate their own candidates"
This Is the language Of the greatest
Republican president since Lincoln.
he larceny against which Mr.. Roose-
olt so bitterly inveghs was perpe-
rated by the asme bosses" that
net In the back room of Chicago
Iotel last June and repeated the Of
onse against the greatest living pro-
rcssive leader Senator johnson, and
located to Warren Gamalicl Hard
ng. one Of their accompliccs In 1912, :
D.. pppultigpu nomination for the