Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-07-23


Notification committee. members Of
the National committee, ladies and
gentlemen: The message which you
have formally conveyed brings to me
a realization Of responsibility which
is not underestimate. 1t is q SUI
preme task to interpret the covenant
of a great political party, the activ-
tiles Of which are so woven into the
history OF this republic, and q very
sacred and solemn undertaking to
utter the faith and aspirations Of the
many millions who adhere to that
party. The party platform has chart
ed the way, yet, somehow, we have
come to expect that Interpretation
which voices the faith Of nominees
who must assume specific tasks.
Party Sponsorship.
Let me be understood clearly from
the very beginning. I believe in
party sponsorship in government. I
believe in party government as dis
tinguished from personal govern
ment. individual. dictatorial, auto
cratic or what not. In citizenship
Of more than q hundred millions 1t
10 impossible to reach agreement
upon all questions. Parties are
formed by those who reach con-
census Of opinion. 1t was the intent
OF the founding fathers to give to
this republic a dependable and en-
during popular government, repre-
sentative in form, and it was de-
signed to make political parties not
only the preserving sponsors but also
the effective agencies through which
hopes and aspirations and convtc-
lions and conscience may be trans
lated into public performance.
Popular government has been an
inspiration of liberty since the dawn
Of civilization. Republics have risen
and fallen, and a transition from
party to personal government has
preceded every failure since the
world began. Under the constitution
we have the charted way to security
and perpetuity. We know 1t gave
to us the safe path to a developing
eminence which no people in the
teed the rule Of intelligent, de-
hberate public opinion expressed
through parties. Under this plan a
masterful leadership becomingly
may manifest its influence, but a
peoples will still remains the su-
preme authority.
The American achievement under
the plan Of the fathers is nowhere
disputed. On the contrary the Amer
lean example has been the model
Of every republic which glorifies the
progress Of liberty. and 10 every
where the leaven of representative
democracy which has expanded HUI
man freedom. 1t has been wrought
through party government.
No One Man Big Enough
No man Is big enough to run this
great republic. There never has
been one. Such domination was
never intended. Tranquility, stabil-
ity, dependability all are assured
IN party sponsorship, and we mean
to renew the assurances which were
rended in the cataclysmal war.
It was not surprising that we
went far afield from safe and pre-
scribed paths amid the war
anxieties. There was the unfortunate
tendency before; there was the sur
render Of congress to the growing
assumption Of the executive before
the world-war imperilled all the
practices we had learned to believe
in: and in the war emergency every
safeguard was swept away. In the
name of democracy we established
autocracy. We are not complaining
at this extraordinary bestowal or as
sumption in war. 1t seemed tenn
porarily necessary; our alarm is
over the failure to restore the con-
stitutional methods when the war
emergency ended.
Our first committal is the restora-
ton OF representative popular gov
eminent. under the constitution,
through the agency Of the Republi-
can party. Our vision includes more
than chief executive, we believe in
a cabinet of highest capacity, equal to
the responsibilities which our system
contemplates, in whose councils the
vice-president, second Official Of the
republic, shall be asked to participate.
The same vision includes a cordial
understanding and coordinate activ-
tiles with house of congress, fresh
from the people, voicing the convic-
tons which members bring from d.
rect contact with the electorate, and
cordial cooperation along with the
restored functions Of the senate, At
to be the greatest deliberative body
OF the world. It's members are the
dseignated sentinels on the towers
Of constitutional government. The
resumption OF the senate's authority
saved to this republic its indepen-
dent nationality. when autocracy
misinterpreted the dream Of a world
experiment to be the vision of a
world ideal.
international Relationship
1t is not dihhcult. Chairman Lodge,
to make ourselves clear ON the ques-
ton Of international relationship.
We Republicans of the senate, con-
scious Of our solemn oaths and
mindful Of our constitutional obli-
cations. when we saw the structure
Of world super-government taking
visionary form, Joined in a becoming
warning Of our devotion to this re-
public. If the torch of constitution
alism had not been dimmed, the de-
layed peace Of the world and the
tragedy OF disappointment and
Europe's Misunderstanding of Am
erica easily might have been avoided.
The Republicans of the senate
halted the barter Of independent
American eminenca aud iuN,or.o