Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-29
LODGE AND CUMMINGS
DID WHAT WAS EXPECTED
A "keynote" Speech Must BE
Special Pleading or Il viii Dis
appoint Its Hearers

Homer s. Cummings's speech in san
| Francisco yesterday was just as parti-
san as the speech of Senator Lodge. 1t
| boastcd of what the Democrats have
done and denounced the Republicans for
what they have not done.
\ nonpartisan speech in n political
convention would create about as much
SURPRISE as would be caused in court
of justice IL the defendants attorney
should admit the guilt of his client in
the absence of convincing evidence.
Special pleading seems to be ex-
pcctpd in a political convention and
during political campaign, and the
orators are very careful rot to disap-
point the expectations of their audience.
When Senator Lodge denounced the
President the Republicans appauded.
When Mr.. Cummings praised the Presi-
dent the Democrats applauded. No one
expected Mr.. Cummings to denounce
Mr.. Wilson and no one expected Sena-
tor Lodge to praise him.
| Mr.. Cummings was most inclusive in
his enumeration of the achievements OF
the Democratic party. For example. he
boasted of the passage of the Adamson
law. 1t is notorious that the passage
| of that law was the result of the most
abject surrender of the national admin :
| istration on the eve Of n presidential
election of which there is any record.
1t was passed under the threats OF the
labor leaders. and those leaders sat IN
the gallery of the Senate and the House
with their stopwatChes to see whether
action was taken before the time limit
of their ultimatum had expired. IL the
Democrats of the present day are proud
Of their surrender and are ready tc
boast of their connection with piece
Of class legislation they are made OF
very different stuff from the men who
founded the party and used to be men
toned with high praise by every Demo
cratic campaign orator.
Then, too. MIR. Cummings insisted
that the Democratic party was respon'
sible for the passage of the Federal Re-
serve Bank act against the opposition
of the Republican leaders" But ht
distorted the facts. of which he cannot
be ignorant.
We WOulu nave udu u AsN
serve banking system in some form long
ago-that is. United States bank-ii
it had not been for the course Of Andrew
Jackson in destroying the old United
States Bank and stirring up unreaSon e
ing and unintelligent hostility to its
restoration in any form. The Democratic
party for seventy five years had opposed
every suggestion for United States
bank. They talked about the money
power and the surrender of the govern
ment to the great capitalists as If that
were what was intended when the Re.
publicans proposed a central banking
system under federal control.
The Aldrich Monetary Commission. q
Republican body, made an exhaustive
study of the banking systems of the
world and recommended the creation OF
n central bank with branches through
ont the country. But because Senator
Aldrich was in touch with the banking
interests and knew something about
banking ho and his report We're de-
nounced by all the Democrats and by
all the petty demaGoGucs in the Repub,
lican party, and it was impossible tc
persuade a majority of Congress to act
But the time was getting ripe for ac'
ton when the Democrats came intc
mower. A generation or more of edu
cational campaigning by the Republi
cans had about broken down the hos
tilty 70 a United States bank started
and fostered by the Democrats.
There is no disposition anywhere tt
80 ha ,raIi
that is his due for urging the passage
Of a Federal Reserve banking act, but
10 call it a Democratic act because th'
! Democrats happened to be in power a
! the time is 70 pervcrt the facts of his
tory. The Republicans did not oppos
! It's passage. They opposed certain i'm
Dractical features Of the act as origi
! nally drawn and they CO. operated will
! the Democrats in making the bill work
able. And the act in its final form wa
based substantially on the recommen
dations Of the Aldrich Monetary Com
mission. The chief difference lies il
its creation of group OF branch bank
under the control Of single board in
stead Of central bank with a grOul
Of branches.
YET Mr.. Cummings would have dis
aDnointed his Democratic audience If h.
had not claimed party credit for bank
ing act for which his party is only ac
cidentally responsible.
His remarks on the peace treaty ant
the League Of Nations covenant ar
opcn to less criticism than some otho
parts of his address The Republican
bv their platform, framed to catch th
votes of the friends and the foes Of tn
treaty and the league, let down tn
bars, and Mr.. Cummings would hav
failed in his duty as a party leader i
he had neglected to go through tn
opening thus made for him.
He raises the issue fairly and squarel
Of the ratification or rejection of th
treaty, and he insists on its ratifica
ton and on the Endorsement Of tn
course Of the President. What he say
about the League of Nations covenan
il exactly what has been said by it
friends in the Republican party in an
out of Congress. He cites the indorse
ment Of it by many Republican leader
and the demand of Republican plat
forms in the past for an association q
nations which should make war diff
cult. if not impossible. Although it i
not his purpose, the effect of this cita
tion is to exhibit to the country tn
friendly attitude Of the party which b
Is trying to convict of hostility.
We shall not try to defend the leagu
| -l..6S fof fha Chica0o DlntfOrm Tn