New-York tribune., 1920-02-20
Voice. From the Past

~~A~s '~N"~N w uC AttUuuc pIdt~
form contest cannot fail to be struck
by the similarity Of spirit which is
revealed. There are differences as
to the specific application Of princi-
pies. and as to what principles should
now be emphasized the most, but as
to the principles themselves there is
remarkable agreement.
This interesting circumstance Is
respectfully referred to those who
seek, in desperate partisan way,
to serve practically bankrupt par
tisan organization by saying that
Emergencies between the parties have
disappeared and that it is not Of
much concern which one is in power,
provided there is a President per-
scnally acceptable.
But clear and straight comes the
message from the past. Present
day Republican declarations for the
greater part imply reiteration Of
issues associated with the party and
it's predecessors. Essential Repuh-
licanism to-day departs little from
what it was when our party system
took form in the debates which oc-
Cured when the Constitution was
adopted and the national government
organized. If Hamilton. Marshall,
Webster, Clay, Lincoln. Mckinley
and Roosevelt were alive to-day no
one may doubt to what party they
would belong.
The nation was born In spirit dur
ing the War of independence. but it
/; had no body. The Federalists of the
Constitutional Convention. the Re-
publicans of their day, created one.
Hamilton, aided by the mighty arm
of Washington, made the new system
an actuality.
Marshall developed on the legal
side the nationalism which Hamilton
had established administratively
Coincidenta'ly, in states of Repub-
'ican tradition came broadening Of
the democratic base of our institu-
items through the abolition of slavery
and the extension of suffrage. Unity
and order made enlarged freedom
possible, as they always tend to do.
Webster then led the great move
ment which made the nation not
mercy an administrative and legal
unity but living organism with
SET conscious soul and thus set up
bulwark against secession.
Clay. from a section whose eco
nomic interests were not complex.
had vision to see that tire nation, to
be self-sustaining, needed to be di-
versified in industry and united by
arteries of commerce. So protection,
the America n doctrine, as Clay liked
to call it, became an obstacle to
separatism and so also did integral
ing internal improvements.
A dark period of reaction followed,
and disunity and anti-demrcracy
raised their heads But with Lincoln
as the great captain Repub.icanism
again pressed forward to cement
the nation and to make the land as
nearly equal in opportunity as
human frai'ty permits.
In the days Of Mckinley trium-
phant nationa'ism, no longer men,
aced, loosed the bonds Of prudential,
aloofness and became knight-errant.
1t enlarged the borders of free self
government and remov d the r; n.y.
nants Of feudaiism which survived
near our coasts.
Finally, Roosevelt. another great
prophet OF Repub!icansn, respond
ing to its call, spent himself in
the great labor Of shaclling cunning
as our forefathers shack'ed force.
AS did the men from whom he drew
he saw that nation was
6, cooperative machine whose prod
ucts must be social justice and the
enhancement of average human life.
In minor matters there have been
many mistakes and blunders, but
concerning the big matters the rec
ord of the Republican party is one
Of consistency. Seldom have the
party's bugles been compelled to
sound retreat. What it has striven
for has been hotly opposed. but, once
done. it's work has been accepted. The
party Is not required to avoid men
tioning such things as lnifcation,
sece ssion, slavery, greenbackery, free
silverism and the like In the pres
ent day, showing how old tendencies
persist, it is an instructive circum-
stance, another great change having
come, in votes fer women, that the
historic Democratic states have
solid'y voted against ratification.
The letters to The Tribune attest
not only that there are differences
between the parties but show to the
disco what thew ore