Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-29
Coolidge's Acceptance
New York World

he effect of his recent siesta on the
sleeping porch ut Marion, o., rs to be seen
in the sp eeh of Governor Coolidge
accepting tho Republican nomination for
Vice-President. To read this sedate de-
livcrance, superior as It rs to Senator
Hardings recent address, 20 one would
suppose that a world shattered by war,
staggering under debt and onfronted by
revolution and anarchy was in need OF
special American ssistance aside from
that which We devote to 'affairs at home.
II Go, ernor Coolidge is not so contra
dictory as Mr.. Harding on the subject
of the League of Nations, Il rs To tie
remembered that, unlike the Senator
from Chic, the governor of Massachusetts
has no legislative record on that point,
but he is almost as evasive. Ire lie
puhlicans he says, have recognized the
mutual need of tho sustaining influence
of friendly cooperation and rapproche-
ment among nations, and our party
stands pledged 10 make an immediate
peace as soon as il is gwen power by the
people" While he has nothing 10 say
as TO the kind OF peace that is in mind, he
subscribes dutifully to the faith Of the
Lodges, Borahs, La FCllettes and john
sons that the covenant Of the league -
"subversive Of the traditions and inde-
pendencc of America.
Perhaps the governors most original
and daring expression IS that the foreign
relations Of our country ought not TO bc
partisan but American. Whether tins
long-disregarCicd truth shall prove more
offensive TO Senator Harding, who Is
demanding n restoration Of party govern
mcnt, than the Republicans Of the
United States Senate, who have brought
nothing but nartisanship into the con-
slderation Of our foreign affairs. We cannot
y, but it is rank inidclity, not TO say
blasphemy, and has no place in the Re-
publican creed as formulated at Chicago
and Marion
The "auotcracy of war which Mr.
Coolidge would do away with rs he re-
establishes constitutional government IS
a constitutional autocracy known more
aCreeabiy as the waT-powcr, IN support
Of which Republicans and Democrats
alike have claimed merit. 4 wcli-con-
sidcred utterancc on respect for law IL
what might have been expected from the
courageous magistrate who put down the
Boston police strike and held hls ground
in the face Of misrepresentation and critl-
cism. His remedies for the high cost
Of living and for public and private ex-
travagance, which are economy and
productivity, are best characterized in
his own words-'all easy to say but diff
cult of accomplishment
For a man who Is a near nelghbor Of
the Home-Market Club the secretary
Of which recently suggested the cancella-
tion Of the ten billions which we advanced
to the allies as a policy preferable to
accepting payment IN goods II was natural
that the candidate should avow himself
a protectionist of the strlctcSt sect He
thinks that the excess-protits tax should
be revised and recourse had to custom
taxes on imports, one of the most whole
some of all means of raising revenue
for II is voluntary IN effect and taxes con-
sumption rather than production. Pos
sibly when he shall have given closer
attention to foreign trade conditions he
will be less inclined to this theory, but
it must be admitted that the attitude of
the Republican Senatorial junta toward
peace and the world at large lacks little
of perfect heathenism except advocacy of
a Chinese Wall as a barrier against COM
merce.
We cannot repress the feeling that
Governor Coolidge is speaking more
particularly for Senator Harding than for
himself and so was at a disadvantage.
If their positions had been reversed, as
many Republicans have wished we should
have had a campaign on a higher level
and with loltler inspiration.