Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-02-06
PRESSES ISSUE
ON DEMOCRATS
Governor Edwards to Fight for
"Wet' Plank in Platform
SPEAKS AT CUMMINGS DINNER
cheered by Guests as He De-
clares for Personal Liberty
ard State Rights
SPEAKS At CUMMINGS DINNER

w Ionht # eD U-bONtIJlOE
Edward I. Edwards came over from
New Jersey last night and formally
served notice on the Democratic party
that he considered prohibition the one
great national issue and that he pro-
posed to carry it to the San Francisco
convention in an effort to have d
wet" plank inserted in the Demo-
cratic platform. Thus did Governor
Edwards throw down the gauntlet to
William Jennings Bryan and his host
of followers.
The occasion for Governor Ed
wards's bombshell was the testimo-
NAL dinner given at the Hotel Com
modore to Democratic National
Chairman Homer S. Cummings. The
New Jersey governor was not down
or the program as one of the speak
ers. but he had carefully prepared
address with him just the same ana
the toastmaster finally consented that
he should unburden himself of it.
1t was somewhat disconcerting,
however, when the tributes to Mr.
Cummings in whose honor the dinner
was being held, were pushed into the
background for a while as the diners
rose to cheer and applaud a declara-
, ton by Gov Edwards that he pro-
posed to carry the fight for personal
liberty to a vote Of the whole Ma
ton.
You're right shouted a guest
amid the handclapping and the DEM
onstration was doubled a second later
when strong-lunged diner Followed:
Three cheers for the next candidate
on the Democratic ticket" Nearly
five minutes elapsed before the ap-
plause subsided.
ITO me this situation is a political
sacrilege," said Governor dwards,
"and / purpose to carry the fight to
a hat
man or set of men may personally
think, so as to bring, about popular
restatement of the doctrine of state
rights and popular local home rule
upon which our fathers founded this
government.
II bring this message to the Nat
ional Democratic Club of New York.
We as Democrats can only win next
fail by presenting a united and har-
monious front upon all great public
questions. The past has gone beyond
recall, but out of that past great
national issue has arisen, and that
issue is nothing less than the old one
our fathers had to deal with in the
creation of this republic, the issue of
state rights and personal liberty.
II claim the people have not spoken
on this subject. l deny the right Of
men who were elected to congress
out any reference to prohibition to
saddle that condition upon the Ameri-
can people without a referendum on
the subject. The issue was not pres
ented in either the Democratic or Re
publican platforms, and the American
people have not been consulted. Un-
less we concede to our congress the
powers of masters and dictators in
stead of servants they possess no au-
h nTifU n fnrpA tho will nf nfh
pie upon their constituents without
consulting them in a clean cut issue
and upon platform clearly setting
forth that Issue.
II deny the right of Congress to
legislate at all, except as a military
measure, upon the right of the peo-
pie of the States to choose the way
for a domestic economy and govern
ment they desire under the Constitu-
ton.
The issue is an old one, and tho
Civil War did not settle 1t. The issue
today is between Jeffersonian and
Hamiltonian policies. Are we to un-
derstand that Mr.. Bryan lines up
under the standard of Hamilton?"
Governor Edwards paid his respect
to William Jennings Bryan and the
recent speeches which Mr.. Bryan has
made against him. following the
governors inaugural dinner which
was attended by Mr.. Cummings
MIR. Cummings's participation in
that affair" remarked Gov. Edwards,
has caused a bit of a furry, and no.
tice has been served upon him that
further association with me will not
be permitted I am hoping. therefore,
that my presence here tonight will
not automatically convert the hon
ored guest and his friends from fair
minded men into what some folks
seem pleased to call the 'asso sociates of
those who maintain criminal busi-
ness
A telegram from Governor Smith,
of New York, unable to attend be-
cause of illness, added to the pro-
nounced Prohibition color of the
occasion. The governor characterized
the eighteenth amendment as "a re-
striction against personal liberty
which Prussia in her palmiest days
never dreamed Of"
The other notable demonstration
of the dinner was prolonged Kissing
of the name Of Admiral Sims, follow
ing the speech of Secretary Daniels.
With the exception of Governor
Edwards the speakers of the evening:
Mr. Cummings, Josephus Daniels, Sec
retary of the Navy. and others-de-
voted their oratory to highly laud-
able remarks concerning the Demo-
cratic anu
the Republican Congress.
Chairman Cummings, after review
ing with care the legislation that a
Republican Congress has failed to
enact said:
What picture do we present to-
day?" A picture of America disposed
to haggle over the terms of a treaty
to which the rest OF civilization al
ready has assented. We present a pic
ture of America reluctant to fulfill it's
legitimate obligations. We see Ameri-
ca pictured as a nation anxious to Sc
cure fhe advantages OF a League of
Nations without accepting any of it's
responsibility.
THE gentlemen who are now lead
ing the Republican party criticfsdng
the President and warning against the
League of Nations are the bad ad-
visers of old, whose counsel led to
trouble and whose advice had to be
discarded before America could make
progress"
TyZ