The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-06-18
! BY EDWARD W. PIcKARD.
For President: -"
Warren G. Harding, Of Ohio.
For Vice President:
Calvin Coolidge, of Massachusetts

Republicans hope and intend to regain
possession of the national government
next fall.
For president, man from the hom
state of many presidents, a Statesman
of long experience and solid Repub
lican, who has been member of thu
United States senate since 1914, {
member Of the "Old Guard" who stand,
well with the Republicans who are II
4 control of the senate.
For vice president, the governor Oh
the Bay State, who was virtually I'm
known to the nation at large until the
strike of Boston policemen and his Wig
orous course In its suppression gave
lhim a vast amount of publicity and
made him the favorlte son of Massa
chusetts in the balloting for first
place on the ticket.
The gentlemen now stand before the
electors of the country on a platform
that is so broad that it embraces
nearly every topic and issue of the
day, though there are those who as,
sert that in some places the planks are
perilously thin. Its builders, however
maintain that there is no danger of
the candidates falling through the
weak spots and it may be that, with
some judicious straddling and side
Stepping this will prove true.
Seldom, if ever has the choice of a
presidential candidate been so closely
connected with the building of the
platform-or it might be more exact
to say the rejection of a candidate
for if Hiram Johnson, and his sup
lporters, could have compelled the adop-
tlon of just the plank they demanded
on the league of nations issue, the
California senator, and he alone, could
with consistency have consented to go
before the people standing on the plat
form. AS it was, his threat to bolt
the party caused long deadlock in
the deliberations of the committee on
resolutions and at last forced the adop-
ton of plank based on the cabled
suggestion of Elihu Root. That wise
man had gone to Europe, but kept in
close touch with the doings in Chicago
and at the crucial moment his plan
was presented to Johnson, Borah, Nc
COrmlck and the other "irreconcil-
aoles" and accepted by them.
The resolution as finally fncorpor-
ated in the platform and swallowed
Dy the convention, almost without a
4ulFer, completely avoids any pledge
10 fatlfy the treaty of peace and the
league covenant with or without reser-
Fatlons, strongly indorses the action
ol the Republican senators in that re-
saru and promises that the party will
work for some kind of international
agreement for the peaceful adjust
meht OF disputes between nations with
OUT the sacrifice of American sover-
eighty' Thus, as will be seen, the way
Is left open for an administration
elected on this platform to do almost
anything it sees fit in this regard ex-
cept to ratify treaty and league COW
enaht such as president Wilson
brought home from Paris. p
FOR the rest, the platform, in brief,
scores President Wilson and the Dem
ocrat1c administration for their I'M
preparedness for war. and for the
Equally unprepared condition of the
lalioh Tor the reception of peace. De-
nounclng the autocratic assumption of
authority by the president the plat
!4oth pledges the restoration of consti.
,'uelonal government. The Republican
soHsress is praised for It's efforts to
eope with the problems caused by the
presidents course.
Inc farmers gained their requested
support for extension of farm loans
nlu the right to engage in cooperative
Alarketing and buying.
Inc industrial plank was the sub
!eeI OF much discussion. Some of the
to"inlttee members, presumably speak.
lof big business, favored a plank
t the prevention of strikes by law.
poFernor Allen and others wanted the
'nSas Industrial court plan indorsed,
1uo PRESIDENT Gompers travelled all
cue way to Chicago to tell the com
,llt'ee what kind of plank the Amer
n nan Federation of Labor demanded.
~, "ue OF these requests were satisfied
81 a the plank adopted recognized the
Justice OF collective bargaining and
continues:
Inc strike or the lockout, as
means of settling Industrial dispufes
CIffIN L., 4
tn'4,u unity as to justify government
1;r,.. atrVe to reduce it's frequency and
unit its consequences.
~, we deny the right to strike against
tn ~ government; but the rights and in
ISL, ISIS OF all government employees
an De safeguarded by impartial laws
and tribunals"
ne failure of the administration to
s .ss during the postwar period
h.a /