The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1920-02-26
The REAL ISSUE

which confronts the two great Ameri-
can political parties today seems to
; that of finding an issue over which
hey can make real fight at the
omlng Presidential elections.
No longer can political battles be
ought over the old questions of ia
lff, sound money, Imperialism, etc.
Ghe liquor question has been dispos
OF, and woman suffrage will soon
an accomplishment.
For months the Senate at Wash
; ngton has been wrangling over the
league of Nations problem and many
have doubtless hoped that it would
furnish campaign issue, but it is so
clearly manifest that at least nine
enthS of the people of the country
avor the League plan, with some sort
OF reservations, that neither party
can afford to make real fight over
he matter at the polls.
Efforts of various kinds are being
made to prepare "model platforms,'
but the proposed platforms of both
parties are so much alike that unles,
hey are conspicuously labeled with
the party name, it is difficult to deter
mine for which party they are in
ended.
For example, the New York State
Republican platform as just announc-
Ell advocates the fOllowinr:
Speedy ratification of the woman
uffr5"c amendment: vigorous meas
ureS to prevent spread of radicalism
a national budget system: return of
ailroadS to their owners; a privately
owned American Merchant Marinc:
nforcemcnt of immigration laws; a
obstructive policy of cooperation to
prevent war, and the reduction OF
small standing army
With a trained citizen reserve for use
n time of war; reorganization OF
'cdcral Trade Commission; establish
ncnt of international high court of
justice to decide disputes among ma
tons and an international conference
to promote and revise international
avs; establishment of a commission
industrial relations to make
trlkcs increasingly unnecessary and
nfrequcnt, with the right given to
abor to share in determining the cir
under which it shall be
and immediate ratification
of the peace treaty with Senate rcs-
ervations.
If we should eliminate the single |
word, Senate" from the last line of |
this statement, we would have left a |
declaration so conservative and non
PARTISAN that it might well be used as
q part of the platform Of either the
Democratic or the Republican party. |
OF course each party will, in its |
!atform, promise to give the country
n wise and economic administration
of public affairs and accuse the m2.i-
bers of the opposite party of waste
full expenditures and general bad
judgment in public matter; and such
charges may at times carry consider
able weight, but they alone by no
means constitute an adequate cam
paign issue.
The truth is that the Republicans
and Democrats alike are, in the main,
patriotic Americans, and between
hem there is no great outstanding is
sue. On the other hand, however,
they are of one mind in their desire
support our American Government
nd Democratic institutions in THEN
trcngth and purity, and they have no
,aticncc with the so-callcd "dircct-
ction" methods by which mnorities
are seeking, by means of strikes and
violence, to throttle industry and
force their will upon the majority.
Here then is the real issue and the |
need is not for basis on which Re |
publicans and Democrats can fight |
ach other but one on which they can |
ct together and fight, IT the rolls. |
he great conflict for the muintcn-
nee of majority rule.
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