New-York tribune., 1920-10-10
Says President Has Held
Up Peace of World Since
Armistice andHas Failed
to Meet All Great Tests
Party Responsibility
Called Major Issue
Tells indianapolis Club
Executive Has Sought to
Ignore Half of People
srectar Dispatch to The Tr.ouns


INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 9.-Her-
bert {. Hoover, jr rs first speech of
the campaign il :>>.1lf of the Re-
publican national ticket, made be-
fore large audience of Republican
men and women at the Columbia
Club to-day, said that the major is
sue OF the campaign is party respon-
sibllity, that "the present Admins
tration has made a failure and
should be retired" Discussing the
League of Nations, he said the Re-
publican party has pledged itself to
undertake the fundamental mission
to put into living being the principle
OF an organized association OF ma
tons for the preservation of peace"
John c. Ruckelshaus, president e
the Columbia Club, presented James
K Lilly, of Indianapolis, as chair
man of the meeting. Mr.. Lilly intro
duced the speaker.
Throughout Mr.. Hoover's remarks IN
the League of Nations there was lib
eral applause Mr.. Hoover said the
Administration, since the signing OF
the armistce, had been failure "bv
an the tests we can apply" In H.
decision to ignore one-half of the peo-
PIE OF the country ard make peace
alone, the speaker added, lay the De
alnAlng Of its failure in statesman
ship.
The Democratic party had failed in
It's responsibility, Mr.. Hoover said, and
has. at least for the present, ceased
TO function" He added that "to have
oostlnately held up the peace of the
world for eighteen months, to have re-
jected the opportunity of amicable ad-
Justment of differences as to methods.
TO have projected the issue which.
with intelligent cooperation, would
never have existed, into the Presiden
.lal election, is the greatest failure OF
american craftsmanship since the Civil
war. The solemn referendum
is not on the league. 1t is on the fail
ure of the Democratic party"
Committed to Association
Mr.. Hoover said he was committed
to scme sort of league, and believed
that some articles of the present doc
ument must be abandoned and some
modified. He said that the principle of
organized action Of nations 10 prevent
war would not vanish To the formu-
latlon Of program to work out such
a principle the Republican party
and nominee were pledged, the
speaker said. If the Republican party
fails to carry out It's pledge to provide
peace IN terms that establish organized
association to prevent war, ait should
and must pay the penalty for that fail
ure which we demand must be paid By
the Democratice party"
Continuing, .tr. hoover said:
There is in this election an over
riding issue of which the questions of
the league or "a league, Of a tariff
for protection or a tariff for revenue
are but part. The major issue to-day
and for the future Of our country Is
party responsibility. | am convinced
that underneath ali this discussion the
American people are raising d most
Fundamental question on our form OF
government, and that is the conduct and
responsibility of political parties. Not
since 1860 has there been such loose
ness of party ties. such lack Of con-
tidence in party machinery and meth
ods, such searching scrutiny of party
promises and purposes.
"The Democratic party has failed in
party has made certain definite prom
lses to the country if it be placed in
government The question at issue is,
Shall the political parties be made 10
assume responsibility for their actions
and promises. both now and in the
future?
Our form of government is based
upon the expression through the ballot
Of the will of the majority. Although
4 -
for them, we have found by practical
experience over our entire national life
that we car give this expression only
through party organization This
political need goes deeper than Amerf-
can experience
Penalties of Failure.
NThe ability to change the govern
ment and its policies by organized po-
htical parties giving an opportunity 10
the voice Of the majority is the subst-
tute democracy has discovered for the
violence of revolution. Therefore as
ours IS a government that must be
based on parties. it IS fundamental that
when party fails in statesmanship or
fails TO carry out its promises it must
accept the penalties Of that failure: II
should be retired that its leadership
may be reformed. This is the real issue.
and is immensely more deeply seated
than superficial partisanship.
No more dangerous thing can come
to as than such failure Of our grest
parties as will create a field for third
party growth. If we are to sustain
party government, if we are TO keep
two cominant parties in the field. our
partles wnen IN power must carry out
their promises, must succeed IN efficien.
government, must find solution for ma
honal dlHicuitles, must march in prog
ress with the times, must represent the
viii of the majority.
Administration a Failure
Il believe that since the armistiee
the present Administration has made
failure by ali the tests that we can
apply No man would be so narrow a.
to condemn the patriotism of one-half
OF his countrymen. A LARGE part of the
men who have supported the Demo.
cratic party have no direct responsi-
bility for the failure of it's leaders
Nor would I condemn ak. the acts Of