South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-10-21
4 Daily Heart
To Heart Talk
On the PO OLitiCaI
Status and Moral
Responsibility Of
Ne10Iy EntranChiSed
Women Voters.
- join HENRY ZUVER
Editor NcWs-Timcs.

Well ladies, have YOU a very
high opinion OF police court
shysters-"pe pettifoggers. as they
are sometimes called. and are
they any less contemplate in
dealing with those petty legal
isms. or even as much so, as
when the same processes are en-
ployed in matters OF state-af-
fairs OF utmost Importance
throughout the world,-to be-
fuddle and befool the electorate
Does politics In your opinion
excuse dishonesty Does patriot
ism exist only for use when there
is an appeal 10 arms? Can politi-
cal campaigns. supposedly educa-
tional campaigns pretensively 10
instruct the electorate in the
problems before the people,
properly be transformed into a
whirlpool Of Misrepresentation
and fraud?
You need 70 settle these ques-
tions IN your mind before you
proceed farther II YOU answer
them affirmatively, then don't
proceed.
Supplementing his political pet
tifoggery INDUCED in writing the
foreign relations plank OF the re-
publican platform. and in his au-
thorship OF the Root-Taft- Wick
ersham-Hughes-Hoover - and 33
other rock ribbed republican
turn coats - reimbursement OF
Mr.. Harding on the League Of
Nations issue.-Nr Elihu ROOF,
in speech in New York Thurs
day night. resorting 10 pettyfog-
ging legalisms, ref-eshes our
memory. He is the same Elihu
Root who, in the fabulous en-
ploy Of the United States Brew
ers association, went before tho
supreme court OF the United
States some time ago. with a
similarly pettifOgging -egalism in
which he maintained that the
constitution OF the United States
is unconstitutional.
Bright idea, He contended that
the 18th amendment. the prohibit
tion amendment, passed and in
corporated into the constitution
in accordance With the powers
conferred therein for amendment.
was unconstitutional because Il
inaugurated something now not
DL0klAeA LOE IN Ltle Original Q0C-
ument,-and OF course, anything
new any proposed change. any
advance, 70 a reactionary mind
like that OF Mr.. Roots is incon-
ceivable as having any authority
for coming into existence.
Everybody knows what the su-
preme court did TO Mr.. Root and
his pettifOgging contention in the
18th amendment case. IL threw
him out on his head-and his in
depreciation Of Article Y Of the
Paris covenant, I'm his authorship
of the ot-Taft-Hoover. etc,
statement. and in his New York
speech, IS Of exactly the same
CalIbre as his interpretation OF
Article y of the constitution
with reference TO the 18th amend
ment.
To bring his process OF gar
bling, elimination Of clauses dis
proving his contention etc, a lit
tie nearer home. IL reminds one
OF a certain city attorney south
Bend had q few years ago, who
could ind law any time 20 suit
the mayors political policy a
law that authorized expenditure
of money for playground al OIL
yer field did not apply at all at
Franklin school and when a COM
mittee from the centennial COM
mission called on the city council
asking for an appropriation for
music al the celebration, which
The mayor did not want made. his
city attorney was able 10 hnd a
law which. by skipping a clause
-sarbIng the aCt-made the ap-
preparation appear impossible for
want Of legality.
Likewise. Mr.. REQ: proceeds 10
quote Art. y OF the League Of Ma
tionS He says i provides that:
The members Of the League
undertake 70 respect and pre-
serve as against CXterEa, ag-
srtSsion the territorial integrity
and existing poitica. indcpcnd-
eDcc of the League. '-
which Is the language Of the
League as far as 10 goes and
standing alone without any addi-
uOna! provisions might be con
sidered a binding treaty obliga-
CONTINUED ON PAGE NINE)