The Rice belt journal., 1920-06-19
Party's Principles EnunCiated by
National Convention at
Chicago.
"UNPREPAREDNESS" CHARGED
Plank Covering the League of Nations
ls Considered In the Nature of a
compromlse-Strong Stand
on Mexico.

Ahe republican party, assembled in
representative national convention, re-
anrms its unyielding devotion to the
Constitution of the United States and
to the guarantees of civil, political and
religious liberty therein contained. II
VIII resist all attempts to overthrow
the foundations Of the government or
10 weaken the force of it's controlling
principles and ideals, whether these
attempts be made in the form of in
ternauonal policy or domestic agitation.
For seven years the national govern
ment has been controlled by the Dem
ocratic party. During that period a
war OF unparalleled magnitude has shak-
en- the foundations of civilization, deci-
mated the population of Europe, and
left In its train economic misery and
suffering second only to war itself.
Unpreparedness for War.
The outstanding features of the Dem
ocratc administration have been COM
plete unpreparedness for war anu COM
plete unpreparedness for peace.
Inexcusable failure to make timely
preparation is the chief Indictment
against the Democratic administration
In the conduct of the war. Had not
our associates protected us, both on land
and sea. during the final twelve months
OF our participation, and furnished US
to the very day of the armistice with
munitions, planes, and artillery, this fall
ure would have been punished with
disaster. 1t directly resulted in unnec-
essary losses to our gallant troops, in
the Impairment Of victory itself, and in
an enormous waste Of public funds lit
orally poured into the breach created
by gross neglect. Today Il is reflected
In our huge ts3 burden and In the high
cost Of living.
UnpreparedneSs fer Peace.
Peace found the administration as un-
prepared for peace as war found Il un-
prepared for war. The vital needs Of
the country demanded an early and
systematic return to a peace time basis
This called for vision, leadership and
intelligent planning. All three have been
lacking. While the country has been
left to shift for itself, the government
has continued on a war time basis.
The administration has not demobilized
the army Of place holders. It continued
. method Of financing which was In
struction. It has used legislation passed
to meet the emergency OF war to con-
tnue Its arbitrary and inQu!Sitorial con-
troll over the life Of the people In time
Of peace, and to carry confusion into
industrial life.
"FIounders HopeleSsIy."
Under the deapot's plea Of necessity or
superior wisdom, executive usurpation of
legislation and judicial functions still
undermines our institutions. Eighteen
months after the armistice, with Its war
time powers unabridged, Its wartime
departments undischarged, its wartime
army of place holders still mobilized, the
administration continues to founder help
leasly.
The demonstrated incapacity Of the
Democratic party has destroyed public
confidence, weakened the authority of
government, and produced a feeling OF
distrust and hesitation 50 universal as
to increase enormously the dlfacOlties Of
Feadjustment and 70 delay the return
to normal conditions,
Never has our nation been confronted
with graver problems. The people are
entitled to know in definite terms how
the parties purpose solving these prob
lens. To that end, the Republican party
declares It's policies and program to be
as follows:
Constitutional Government.
We undertake to end executive au-
tocracy and to restore to the people the
constitutional government.
The policies herein declared will be
carried out by the federal and state
governments each acting within its con-
stitutional powers.
Congress and Reconstruction.
Despite the unconstitutional and dicta-
torial course Of the president and the
partisan obstruction of the Democratic
congressional minority, the Republican
majority has enacted a program of con-
structive legislation which, in great part,
however, has been hullified by the vindic-
tive vetoes of the president.
The Republican congress has met the
problems presented by the administra-
tion unprepared for peace. 1t has re-
war legislation. 1t has enacted a trans
portation act, making possible the re-
habilitation Of the railroad system of
the country, the operation of which un-
der the present Democratic administra-
ton has been eXtravagant and wasteful
in the highest degree. The transporta-
ton act made provision for the peace
ful settlement of wage disputes. partial
ly nullifled, however, by the presidents
delay in appointing the wage board cre-
ated by the act This delay precipitated
the outlaw railroad strike.
We stopped the flood of public treas
ure recklessly poured into the lap of
an inept shipping board, and laid the
foundations for the creation of great
incompetent Democratic administration
the administration of the telegraph and
telephone lines Of the country, and re-
turned them to private ownership. We
reduced the cost of postage and increased
the pay of the postal employees-the
poorest paid of all public servants. We
provided pensions for superannuated and
retired civil servants, and for an increase
In pay for soldiers and sailors. We re-
organized them on a peace footing and
provided for the maintenance of pow
erful and efficient navy
Passed Suffrage Amendment.
The Republican congress established by
law a permanent women's bureau in the
department of labor. We submitted to
the country the constitutional amend
ment for womans suffrage and fur
nished 20 of the IS legislatures which rat
ified it to date.
Legislation for the relief of the con-
sumers of print paper, for the extension
the food control act for broadening
the scope of the war risk insurance act,
better provision for the dwindlng num-
Der of aged veterans of the Civil war,
and for the better support of the
MANNED and injured of the great war.
and for making practical the vocational
rehabilitation act that has been enacted
by the Republican congress.
We passed an oil leasing and water
power bill to unlock for the public good
the great pent-up resources Of the coun-
try we have sought to check the pro-
fligacy of the administration, to realize
upon the assets of the government, and
to husband the revenues derived from
taxation. The Republicans in congress
have been responsible for cuts in the es.
Inmates for government expenditure Of
nearly $9,0eO0OO,0OO since the signing of
the armistice.
We enacted national executive budg-
ct law; we strengthened the federal re-
serve act to permit banks to lend need
ed assistance to farmers; we authorized
financial corporations to develop export