Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-17
CONSTITUTION, OR
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Harding Says They Are Irrecon-
cilable, and Assails Admins
tration's Policy.
ny Associated Pres. 70 Every Evening

4
Marion, Ohio, Sept IL. Pronouncing
the League Of Nations covenant irrecon-
cilable with the American Constitution,
Senator Harding declared IN 6constit,l,
ton day" address here that the time had
come for the United States 10 decide
! whether 1t would preserve or abandon
the charter under which il achieved ma
| tionality.
THE constitution or The covenant-tha
~ the paramount isstie," he said ffT'he
| two are irreconcilable. We can not be
| governed from both Geneva and Washing
ton. We cannot follow our present Chief
Magistrate without forsaking the Father
| OF Our Country"
The Republican nominee also aeeail-
cd the administration policy toward
the smaller nations Of the western herni-
sphere, asserting that the executive had
usurped congressional powers 20 carry
on an unconstitutional war with Haiti
and San Domingo He declared the recent
utterauces Of Franklin ID. Roosevelt, the
Democratic nominee for Vice President,
had revealed officially for the first time
The American governments rape" Of
tho two little republics.
The speech, delivered from the front
porch to delegations from several Ohio
counties, reviewed the circumstances
surrounding the making Of the Constitu-
ton and outlined the candidates concep-
tion Of the balanced powers Of the exc
cutiye, legislative and judicial branches
Of the government.
The constitution has never failed
America he continued, "and despite
needless assertions to the contrary, Amer
ica has never failed % the world And now.
a f.x.fF Ha 80
let us hope viii soon be in a position
through earnest corporation Of all
branches Of our government, TO lend a
helping hand, but she herself must point
the way.
How can VIC, then, in reason and with
confidence make sure of fulfilling our mis-
sion on earth7 The first step - plain. We
must strictly MAINTAIN and scrupulosly
observe, IN letter and in spirit, the man
dates OF the constitution Of the United
states. We are not doing so now. We are
ut war, not alone technically with Ger
many, but actually with the helpless re-
publics of our own hemisphere. The wars
upon our neighbors to the south were
made and are still being waged, though
never declared, through the usurpation
by the executive Of powers not only never
bestowed upon him but scrupulotrsly
withheld by the con stitution.
"Of the fact there can be no question.
Ii is admitted, even boasted of, by the
Democratic candidate for vice-presldcns,
between home, II elected, and the pres,-
dency itself would be but single life.
You know he said 70 the people Of
Montana, as his words were quoted by
the press, L have had something 10 do
with the running of a couple Of little re-
n H.. L.. II
constitution myself and il | do say it,
| think it is pretty good constitution.
Until last week / had two votes in the
league assembly: now Secretary Daniel
has them"
ITO the best Of my information this
is the first official admission Of the rape of
Haiti and San Domingo by the present
administration. To nv mind, moreover,
1t Is the most shocking assertion that ever
ernanatcd from a responsible member of
the government OF the UnitedStates.
True, We know little OF the conduct Of
these wars of occupation and the I'M
position Of laws upon our helpless neigh
bors. The censorship Is no less strict than
1t was during the secret conferences and
conspiracies in Paris. Practically al we
know now is that thousands of native
Haitians have been killed by American
marines and that many of our own gal
liant men have sacrificed their lives at the
behest of an executive department in
order TO establish laws drafted by an as
sistant secretary of the navy, to secure
a vote IN the League and TO continue at
the point OF the bayonet military domina-
ton which st this moment requires the
presence Of no less than 900 Of our armed
men on that foreign SOIL"