Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-10-11
Hoover Turns Politician

Herbert Hoover the partisan placing party success above
principle sorry figure when contrasted with Herbert
Hoover the independent who placed principle above party
An advocate the League of Nations his efforts to JUSTLY
his unno Of candidate pledged to stay out of the League
are feeble In his campaign speech Saturday Mr. Hoover
said
nasnuch hreequarters of the people of
that but care little for mnoi@gy %
essential thing has pledged ITSELF by
platform majority in the senate by the repeated
Harding that they undertake the
mission to put into living organized assoea
for the preservation of peace The carrying u
promise is the test of the entire sincerity Integrity anu
of the republican party
Yet at the time Hoover pleading for support for Hard
ing as committed the League Harding himself IS scrappng
the League denouncng it and declaring his unaterabe op
position it, while Johnson and Borah and 5000 other spell
binders attacking it. carry out the League Is tne tes
the republican party has already failed
Mr. Hoover further declares in denouncing the admins
tration:
TO have obstnatey up world for eighteen
onhs opportunity of amcab OF
methods have projected the issue INTO the
dental failure of American sateSmanshp
since the civil war
We quite agree with Mr. Hoovers remark, but nasmuch
as the republican senate and not the president or the oeo
cratic senators rejected the treaty it difficult TO see
how the blame the democrats The rejection OF the
treaty is the greatest failure of American statesman
shipand the responsibility for rests upon the republican
senate caba which figured that the ratification OF peace
would give the democrats political prestige
No dyedin stand pater could assa the OPPOSE
on more savagey than Mr. Hoover who declared that the
ignored half the people OF the United STATES
ito make peace terms alone There two republicans on
the peace commission, there were many repubhcas cu
inc Mr. Hoover himself attendance experts, whose ao-
vice governed the peace commission and the suggestions
made by republican leaders, such as Taft ughes ana hoo
were all incorporated in the covenant and their every ooec
tion met. ~
Mr. Hoover declared that the main issue OF the campaign
is "parv responsbiy"- what is party responsibility
in this campaign? When the republican platform straddes
an issue like the League of Nations and the republican can
ddae and part of the leaders opposing the League ao
Taft and other republican leaders favorng iWhat Is
the repbcan party responsible for? There is no party
responsibility. .
It was this very situatonthe fact that political parties
had become irresponsible and had surrendered pncpe 10
expedency and that the various factions were united only
for the power prestige and patronage OF o1ce taC os
osted the people with the insncerity and hypocrcy OF
politicians and parties Hoove statements last winter that
he did not know to which party he belonged and would nave
to wait until the platforms showed their relative pfogreSS
ism made Hoover popular candidate with people weary OF
politica sham When he surrendered independence ana
declared party regardless OF principle ne ost MS pop
larty and threw away the presidency.
In another speech time since Hoover declared tha
talk Of creating new League of Nations was bunk and
that America must into the present League his cam
naon chatter is designed only bewer voters and secure
League votes while Harding secures aneague votes ne
has oned the ranks of the politicians and like them IS ped
ding "bunk."
By his specous reason Mr. Hoover ersWhlle progress
ive seeks to Justify his support of reaction by Ignoring fact
and asifyng history Crawling and cngng at the feet OF
tha politicians who cursed him and made his candidacy joke
he adop their devious devices to win their favor acquire
and reeogntona fine example OF the nsln
certify of politics and the moral bankruptcy OF politics.