New-York tribune., 1920-10-08

ira Constitutional body, how and when
and to what extent our duty in that
respect shall be discharged AS soon as
possible after my election | shall advise
with the best minds in the United
States and especially I shall consult in
advance with the Senate. with whom,
by the terms Of the. Constitution. /
shall indeed be bound to counsel and
without whose consent no such inter
national association can be formed. |
shall do this to the end that we shall
have an association of nations for the
promotion of international peace, hat
one which shall so definitely safegus I'd
our sovereignty and recognize our ul-
innate and unmortgaged freedom of
action that it will have back of it not
a divided and distracted sentiment, but
the united support of the American
people Without such united support
no plan can be made fully or perma-
nently successful"
Would Grant No Amnesty
In his speech at Omaha Senator
Harding said in part:
mo true American will argue that
our laws should not be enforced. l
refer to laws, no matter of what
deal with ordinary criminals and mis-
demeanors or those which deal with
acts of treason to the United States,
threatening to the Constitution and
the fabric of our social organization
| wish no one to misunderstood me.
and therefore | will say as plainly as
| can that for my part | can see NJ,
essential differences between ordinary
crimes and ordinary criminals on the
one hand and political crimes and
political prisoners on the other hand.
II have been asked many times dur
ing this campaign whether | would
to political prisoners. My answer, |
trust, is clear 1 would not. A gen
eral grant of amnesty to political
prisoners is no more justified than a
general grant of amnesty to yeggmen.
If there is any distinction betw zen
the danger of yeggmen and political
conspiracy | believe that most Amsri
cans will uphold me when | say it is
the political conspirator who is the
greater menace to the United States.
Many persons have fallen into
error in regard to the practice of de-
portation of undesirable aliens. On
the one hand are those who believe
that deportations constitute an ofense
against the spirit of American free
dom, and on the other are those who
would hasten to deport as many aliens
as possible against whom they happen
to have a fierce prejudice. In my at
tempt to arrive at q true position
have been unable to find myself in
agreement with either of these two
points of view. l would like to make
those persons who are opposed to any
deportations Of aliens see that if we
may fairly and justly stop the unde-
slrabie alien as he attic mpts to enter
our country, SO also we have the right
to lead him forth and send him away
when he has become menace to our
country after his entry into it,
1--WE must all surely share a resent
ment, sometimes intense, against the
alien who seeks hospitality and the
opportunities of America, only to turn
about and sting the bosom which has
warmed him. Granted the facts Of
that treachery, my position is clear,
and let no one misunderstood it, The
treacherous alien within our borders
must be led to our gateways and told
to 60.
to political amnesty and deportation
upon which we must act. Unless we
act upon then, our foundations be-
come as swaying quicksands beneath
the structure of our national life.
STANDS Against Terrorism
unfortunately, however, our con-
siderations must go forward from those
of law to those Of fact. Perhaps more
tragic than ofFense against our laws
are the otfenses Of injustice and of
oppression which occur occasionally
by the acts of those who are insincere
or hasty in the enforcement of our
laws. We would be blind if we did not
recognize that great numbers of Amer
leans believe that they have seen with
in the last few years grave injustice
done and harsh, violent and unlaw-
full oppression undertaken under the
mask Of enforcing law and order. They
have seen too much terrorism. | trust
that l will be understood when | say
that | stand against terrorism and
abuse and brutality, and that l, like
all other true Americans, will not as
sent to it, approve Of it, or, so far as
| am capable, tolerate its continuance.
Must Adjust Treason Laws
"Let no one misunderstood my po-
sition. Let no one believe that, be-
cause l have stated my condemnation
Of terrorism and of a Short sighted pol
icy of impatience and bluster, l
or the Americans who stand with me
will fail to draw a line beyond which
no man or woman in America NAV 90
without paying swiftly, surely and
justly the penalty for their treachery
their conspiracy and their menacing
presence.
~ think the voice Of America will
say clearly and without hesitation that
we must adjust our laws as to treason,
sedition and agitation against our in
stitutions SO that these laws will con-
form to the American spirit of a
united America which all men and
women may learn to love"