New-York tribune., 1920-02-15
Concordia ''Blade Empire
Felicitates on Responses
From All Over Nation-
Comment on Platform

Another mark OF this widespread
interest taken in The Tribune's ma
tional Republican platform contest is
the following editorial from the Con-
eordia, Kans.. "Blade-Empire":
THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM
"The New York Tribune through it's
columns is the clearing house for Re-
rublican platform writers. The New
York newspaper is assisting the ma
.onal committee in trying to build
the best platform possible for the
marty, and so far the response has
been gratifying. Party platform writ
ing seems to be the recreation Of a
great many persons, including the
professional politicians.
"a glance at the weeks resume of
platforms submitted in the contest
shows preponderance If American
ism planks. That is to be expected.
II is the proper reaction to the Red
and anarchist propaganda which con-
fronts the country. 1t might be we'll,
though, before plank as to Amer
icanism is chosen, to define what we
mean by 'Americanism.' What tho
New York Assembly might hold wa.
good Americanism would not be well
coined in the Middle West, and so far
most of the planks have come from
New England.
Call for Military Training
"Then, too, there is q multitude of
compulsory military training planks.
That is not surprising when 1t Is
realized that New Englard's bulwark
financially is capitalism and that the
best defense for capitalism is compu1-
sorry military training or military
arm that can be used for defensive
purposes. These planks, too, have a
New England flavor. Were the farm
ers OF the Middle West submitting
platforms as to military policy there
would be little compulsory military
training. If the Republican party tries
to thrust military training down the
throat of the Middle West, it will get
another surprise. Compulsory mill
tarism is not desired, and the voters
in this part of the country will make
it known.
Labor and capital come in for con-
sideraton by the plank writer's and an
industrial court similar to the Kansas
court seems to be the general idea.
This most important feature before any
attention it should. The industrial sit
uation is the key to the Americanism
attitude, and remedial measures in this
system would do much to check bolshe-
vlsm.
Belief in Americanism
gratifying indication of the whole
some thinking of the participants in
this contest is an unswerving belief in
American principles, such as the eff
cacy of the Constitution and the powers
Of Congress. There is tendency
shown to make the United States dis
tlnctly American rather than half
baked cosmopolitan, which is we'll.
These amateur statesmen who have
been afflicted with Europits and advo-
eating that what Paris and Downing
Street advocate, that and that only
should the United States do, would find
little to praise in the tone Of the planks
which have been submitted. Throughout
them rings an American pride and faith
in our system Of government, our Con-
stitution and the ideals which have not
wlthered with the passing of years in
spite of the learned don who came from
Princeton to take the ship of state.
The platforms seem to say to the
world if it thinks the American ideals
as exemplitied by Lincoln and Wash
lngton are worth praise they are worth
adopting-at least our Constitution is
good enough.