The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-05-06

make progress. Is this too general an assertion? Let me be a little more particular.
 Lodge Pe@imistic
 tfWas it not Senator Lodge who proclaimed in the Senate that the Federal Reserve System was fore doomed to failure? Was 1t not Sena- tor Root who said that the Federal Reserve System would ruin the dnan-
 cial structure of America? Was it not Senator Penrose who took the same position? Did not all these gentlemen oppose the passage of the
 Shipping Bill, when it was urged by
 Secretary MesAdoo, two years before war began? Was it not this same group of 1eadets who were respon- esible for the opposition to the In come Tax, the Farm Loan System
 and the Agricultural and Labor Bills?
 These are the same bad advisers,
 who, hopeful that America has for
 gotten their bad advice, are now
 rendering their sugg gestions as to the future.
 sIt is to this group of reactfonary leaders that the present Senators from the State of Connecticut un- fortunately belong. I shall not pause to analyze the address delivered by Senator Brandegee while presiding as Temporary Chairman over the de- Alterations of the Republican Con- vention, recently held at New Ha- ven. I cannot believe that the dis | tinguished Senator speaks either for the people of this State or even for the Republicans of this State. A l great part of his address is con- f0 nf n l record in opposing Child Labor leg is1ation and Woman Suffrage
 'I doubt whether his explanations possess any great element of pub lie interest, but the mere fact that he finds it necessary to make such explanations discloses the ,deplorabIe | condition characteristic of Republican leadership in this State.
 'fHe complains of the cost of the | present war, seeks to explain his un- aherabIe opposition to the League of | Nations and intimates that if the Re pubhcans are triumphant in the next election they will proceed to "clean
 up'P' the situation in Mexico. His | speech throughout indicates the wide differences of opinion which prevail | in the Republican Party nor can his program prove attractive to the peo- l pie of this State. I believe that the people of Connecticut have learned something from the great war, and that they would rather take measures | to prevent a. repetition of war than to engage in another conflict.
 Complains of Reconstruction. '"The Senator complains bitterly 1 that the tasks of reconstruction have not been taken up, apparently un- mindful of the fact that the Republi- can Party carried the elections of 1918, and has been in power ever since, If the tasks of reconstruc- 1 ton have not been taken up, they i alone are to blame. No amount of
 rhetoric will shift the responsibility | for their failure to act. Of course l the Senator is not content to- close 1 his speech with out the usual attack | upon the President of the United i States If he has omitted any politi- 1 cal crime or blum der from the list ot 1 accusations it has escaped my notice l ''The whole address is indicative ot
 the narrow and sordid spirit whicf 1 controls the Republican Party to- 1 day. It is a curious compound o1 1 ultra ra-conservatism partisanship, pro. 1 vincialism, antpatty to the Presi l dent and lust for power. It rcssesse: | no spiritual signiffance. There i.
 nothing to lift it above the materia
 things of life. It contains no thought
 no purpose which can give impuIsc
 or thrill to those who love 1ibert,
 and happier place for the averag, man.
 Americans Paying.
 ''The American people have pait
 and are still paying staggering pen a1ty for the election of a Republican | House and Senate in. November 1918 Since that time, all the processes o government have been impaired anC
 the work of reconstruction has beer
 delayed The development and exten
 sion of American business has beel
 prevented and the peace of the wor1 < has been postponed Rude and un
 skiHfI hands have been thrust reck
 1ess1y amidst the interlacing stran d
 of human destiny. The oppositio,
 has conducted a campaign of base President.
 'tEts leadership has attempted t persuade our country into a repudia } ton of international, obligations an
 an abandonment of our Allies, i
 whose company only a few month
 ago, we were fighting to save tn
 civilization of the world. It is nc l necessary to pause to discuss the de tails of the Treaty of Peace and tn League of Nations. The crucial tes of those who discuss the League c } Nations consists in the attitude wfic they disclose. Is the attitude sym
 pathetic and helpful, or Is it par . tisan and critical? Is the purpos
 constructive or destructive? Is a 5 honest attempt being made to fo1 ward this great project, or is it tn 3 purpose to hamper those who ar 7 engaged in the work so that tn 2 whole plan may fall into confusio - and become ineffective?
 t Wanted Partisan Issue. f ''Senator Lodge set forth a yea ago to make the Treaty of Peace . partisan issue. He has never de ,, viated from that Course. While tn !, Peace Conference was in session, b a eNerted all his efforts to create di: }, sension between the President an = the representatives of the Allied gov 6 ernments. Political animosity fo
 lowed the President to the peac e table. Senatorial pronounciamentt o of a, censorious character were issue f from time to time. A round robin