Arizona republican., 1920-11-03
Where the People
 May Have a Hearing
On the Side of the League

My dear Mrs. Nordquist: Your communication to me, dated october 22, and which seems to nave pleased you to such an extent that you sought and obtained publicity for It Tn last Sundays issue of the Arizona Re- n,lblican. was duly received by me. I have given to the same the most care fuI consideration, and against my per sonal inclinations for l do not aspire to the limelight. but because feel It Is a duty deyolving upon me, l am max ing public reply to 1t. believe that it would be doing a grave injustice to the great mass of highly intelligent ana conscientious women of this community to let them rest under the imputation that the sordid, flippant views ex- pressed by you are common to any great number of them, and am writ ing this letter in spirit of defense of the good name and good sense Of the women voters generally. To me, and hope and believe, to the great majority of women everywhere, the casting Of ballot is not exercised in a spirit or bargain and sale, and the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in spire a little higher conception or the dignity of government than your letter indicates you to possess. To you, ap- parently. the issues of campaign, the principles and policies of government which we endeavor to decide by our ballots, are considered only in terms or confidence games. or purchases made over a counter Your mind, it would seem, does not function along lines or civic duty and of unselfish service for the public gocA To my way of think ing, 1t is nothing less than pathetic that with a great moral issue facing the voting women of America, you can content yourself with petty quibbling and cheap abuse instead of intelligently informing yourself upon the subjects concerning which you assumed to write. To assajl and impugn as base the motives and intent of those states men charged with the conduct of gov ernment. not only fails to prove any thing, but strongly reflects upon one indulging in such practice, for common knowledge teaches us that we are prone to estimate others by our own linlita- tions Your letter displays no spirit of helpfulness or of high endeavor, no thought of lessening the burdens of the world. and I have searched it in vain for one single constructive idea or suggestion. You seek only to destroy, not to upbuild. If as you say. you are against the league of nations, what have you to offer in it's stead? By what right do you say that the plan to save humanity from the horrors of another war conceived by the conscience of mankind and formulated by 300 of the master minds of the world, is wrong, if you are unable to suggest better one or indeed, any other one. stated (ano you seem to take exception to the state ment) that the best people of both par ties are for the league I reiterate the statement and in support of it. I quote the words of Dr. Frank Crane. the vel known writer. minister and editor (himself. he says, a life long Republi- cam in the September issue of Curren Opinion:
 "The league is favored by the grea l majority of thinkers, by philosophers men in universities and churches, b, | the American Federation of Labor, b! | writers, and by all who are concerned l in public welfare. It is opposed by on' class only-the partisan politicians ant those influenced by them.''
 I would be not only sorry. but hu initiated, if I believed the selfish view expressed throughout your communica ton were shared by any great numbe of red blooded Americans. I do no believe that to be the case, for I fee that to most of us America stands 10 something a little higher and bette than her own purely selfish interests | that we believe in America first, bu to us that means America first in hon or, first in standing for those principle of right and justice and humanity, [ establish which she was founded an which have been our sacred heritag from generation to generation; first fulfilling her obligations to all tn world, first in protecting the wea against the aggressions of the strons first in service for the good Of human ity. I cannot conceive of that Americ selfishly holding aloof from all th other civilized nations in their earnes effort to maintain the peace of tn world, simply because she is afraid pledge herself to do her part, afraid share responsibility, afraid to thro her mighty influence into plan fC the benefit of all humanity. I want believe that even you are merely th victim of misunderstanding and ths you are at heart really not as selfishl materialistic as your letter seemed indicate.
 Now while your letter is, for the mos part. merely an exposition of opinion Supposedly your own) which can cal " no weight because not based on eitf CT reason or fact but only on conjec ture and insinuations, l am going reply briefly to some of your state ments, hoping to point out to you tn danger of rushing into print with mat terS lncapaDle or pFOoL, poSSiDlS SdN II you from future embarrassment alon the same line. Furthermore I will ad that l will furnish authority for ever statement of fact l make. as we'll z the reason for the opinions which I a( vance.
 First however, let me say that, a
 though l would be more than glad claim the honor of having assisted any way in the election of Woodro
 Wilson and giving to the America people what I believe to be the mo
 progressive and enlightened admins
 tration in the history of our countr your memory is in error in suggestir
 that I addressed you four years ago.
 fear the Republican committee mu
 have misinformed you in this. as we
 as in other matters, in furnishing yC
 material for your @ letter. I lill wise note with interest that the in struction issued by the speakers bp