Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-06-14
Its Disappearance in Line
With Artful Dodging on
All Dangerous Issues.
EVASION ON PROFITEERlNG
IN INTEREST OF EXPLOITERS
Platform, Hostile to Labor,
Gives Soldiers Compliments
in Lieu of Cash.
AMBIGUITY ON TIE LEAGUE
Harding Plcascs "Big business"
and Coolidge Adds Strength
to Ticket.
AMBIGUITY ON TIE LEAGUE
BY WILLIAM JENNINGS nnyAN.

Copyright 1920 by William J. Bryan)
CHICAGO. June l3-The conven
tion is over-";he tumult and the
shouting cease"
The platform is fun OF invcctlvc
against the President and full Of
boastinS or Republican accomplish
ncnt. bat that Is not unnatural. II
Is the custom OF parties to point with
pride" to all they do. and To view
with alarm" all tho opposition has
done or proposes to do.
The platform is IA compromise but
what else would IL bc when the Re-
publican party Is rent with division
md held together by party name
rather than by agreement upon prin-
ciplcs? In 1912 more than half OF.
the voters OF the Republican party
bolted--an Unprecedented thing. Even
then majority Of the leaders were
rcactionary and the percentage has
Increased until 1t is safe to say that
three -fourths. il not four-nnhs OF
the prominent men In The party arc
distinctly rcactionary.
Evasion OF PronteerinE I.suc.
On some qucstions. the pronounce
mcnts were clear and uncqu!yocal
For instance on the private owner
ship of railroads telegraph lines and
telephone lines the attitude of the
party liz unmistakablc. on the sub
1ect OF proh;ccring the evasion Of the
issue was apparent and In the interest
OF the exploiters.
On tho subject OF the soldiers bonus
the party's position was not due to
hostility to the soldiers or TO lack Of
appreciation OF their service. The Re
publican leaders would be glad to
give n bonus II they could do so with
cut offending Republicans who.
though few in number. have more in
nucncc with the leaders OF that party
than all the service men combined
Appropriations have to be provided
for. and the Republican leaders could
not ind way OF raising money that
would not arouse violent opposition
To tax all the people would Offend :.
larger number than the bonus would
please: TO issue bonds would
depress the price OF the bonds out
standing and that would create an
GEonism: TO put il on stock dividends
and war profits would irritatc the
capitailst!c class, so the soldier boys
get compliments instead of cash
Their labor3 are 10 be held in "impcr-
ishabie remembrance" The leaders
certainly did say 1t with flowers"
Tho woman's plank underwent
material alteration in the full com
mittcc. In the report of the subcom-
mittee as published the Governors OF
States that had not ratified were
urged TO call special sessions for the
Fastening of ratification. In the plat
form as finally published the Gov
crnors were not mentioned. but Lcgis-
latures that had not ratified were
urged TO do SO. This seems like n
very slight changes. but II may mean
the delay of ratification un,il after
the election.
That Lost Prohibition Plank.
The history OF the lost prohibition
plank would make Il side splitting
comedy. Some said it was in: some
said 1t was not. Some claim tha,
1t was put in and lost out and ought
TO have been read when il wasn't,
One member of the committee wrote
out minority report and then went
OIL 70 his hotel instead of presenting
IT to the convention. He sent IL by
an outsider to a delegate who was
afraid to present it because he was
going to make a nominating speech
and feared he would hurt his candi-
date.
They all with one accord began to
make excuses. No one seemed dis
posed to do the natural and easy
thing, namely. bring it into the con-
Fention and have the mistake cor
rooted. And this Is the convention
OF party that has claimed mo-
nopoly Of high purpose and conscien-
tious endeavor
have already called attention to
the ambiguity of the plank on the
league OF nations; 1t says anything
or nothing or both, according to your
pleasure. Call for anything you
want and you will find it there.
a number of tho farmers demands
were included In the platform and
several planks suggested by the
women. but labor received a scant
hearing. The line between the cor
poration and it's employees is too
clearly drawn to permit the party
to straddle the Issue. and being com
PEELED to choose. 1t could not take
other than the employers side.
Harding Pleasing to "Big business,
The candidates are men of ability.
and will prove acceptable to n large
majority Of the party. Senator Hard
Ing. while entirely pleasing TO "bie
business" cannot be attacked AS suc-
cessfully as Governor Lowden might
7:ave been.
The campaign expense scandal did
not involve him to anything like the
extent that 1t did General Wood and
Governor Lowden. He will mako n
stronger candidate than either the
CONTINUED, on Second Page.)