El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-08-09
SPEECH
IS ANALYZED
By DAVID LAWRENCE
tUontinued from page II


interpretative reservations the I'M
pressions which opposition speakers
implanted was that he wanted the
treaty ratified without the crossing
Of a IT. or the dotting Of an L ]"
Gov. Cox sensed this weakness in
the Wilson defence Of the treaty and
said that although any high school
boy" knows that the constitution can
not be swept aside by any treaty
nevertheless he is ready TO include
reservations which would absolutely
prevent misunderstanding abroad and
would carry reassurances also
His Stand on Prohibition.
With respect to prohibition. Gov.
Cox called attention to the oath OF Of
inaugurated. namely, TO preserve,
protect and defend the constitution OF
the United States" and added that the
public official who fails TO enforce
the law is an enemy both to the con-
stitution and the the American peo-
pie" He plainly left the inference
that as long as there was an 18th
amendment forbidding the manufac-
ture OF intoxicating beverages he
would enforce the constitution. OF
course the whole wet and dry argu-
ment ranges about the question Of
how much alcohol is intoxicating and
If congress passed a law specifying
four percent as the limit It would take
a decision by the supreme court TO
say the law. was unconstitutional In
the interval before the decision was
rendered, the executive branch OF the
government would simply be guided
by the action OF congress-
Reduction OF War Taxes.
Perhaps the most interesting part
OF Gov. Cox's speech was his proposal
to reduce TO a minimum all war taxes
On the incomes OF wage earners.
salaried and professional people. ag-
ricultural producers and small trades
men He suggested that instead Of
an excess profit tax, there be placed
a small tax Of about one and a half
percent on the total business OF every
going concern. Inasmuch as prae-
tically all other taxes would Be- re-
moved. Gov. Cox believed the small
tax on gross business would scarcely
be felt. especially by big business
which has been accused OF transfer
ring as much as ten percent to the
consumers because Of the inequality
Of the excess profit tax Senator
Harding considered seriously the
same suggestion OF a sales tax but
was dissuaded from putting It in his
speech OF acceptance by some Of his
advisers who contended that the
same tax in other countries had not
provevd economically sound
Democrats See -Wet1 Omen.
The Democratic nominee did not
have the fine weather for the notlfica-
ton ceremony that his Republican
rival had three weeks ago. as It began
raining while he was speaking This
gave the day a "wetness" that some
OF the Democratic Wags from New
Jersey thought appropriate for the
occasion
The mysterious paragraph which
Gov Cox intended to insert in his
speech at the last moment. was with
held The governor was persuaded that
IL might detract from his speech in d.
verting attention from the many i'm
portant issues discussed therein 1t
could be better handled in separate
speech without injury to the purpose
which the governor has in mind
Curiosity as to what the paragraph
would be reached an intense point
and the fear Of the governors ad-
v1sors was that Il would be given an
emphasis out OF AL proportion 70 the
things already in the Democratic plat
form and speech Of acceptance
Copyright, 1890. by David Lawrence
HAHDING IN CONFERENCE.
Marion. Ohio. Aug s.-Conferences
with Republican leaders occupied
most OF senator Harding's attention
today. although he began work on the
speech he win deliver Friday 10 the
Ohio Republican Editorial association
The nominee will make no formal