South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-08-01
Coolidge and Harding in StraddIing Contest
Trying to Ride the League of Nations Issue


cannot but deepen the wish Of most
- republicans that their ticket had been
ed other end to.
To everyone outside the senate oligarchy. and
the party propagandlsts.-kept busy since the az
Marion 10 days ago. explaining what Can
didate Harding talking about.-the Coolidge
acceptance in point both Of thought and style,
makes the Harding ATTEMPT appear frigid.
belabored. inexpainable than ever.
The Coolidge philosophy has a touch of Emer-
in It. little of the flavor Of Thoreau. sug-
gestion OF the New England Primer and grows rem
inlscent I'm spots Of Poor Richard. He has a phil
osophy. One can read Coolidge. disagree with him.
and yet like him for his Yankee sense while Hard
ing only be sighed and-put aside
future explanation.
or course. the Massachusetts, governor spoke as
a party man. but plainly enough he would rather
have-this year. knowing the republican party
TO DE party OF expediency. with fun
damental PRINCIPLES. concerned In the
and the pums than the fulhllment of ideals for the
Improvement Of the general welfare. he wish
It different In spite OF himself ne took
dealing with fundamentals entirely outside
party. and though he attacked the democrats, the
larger part Of his address would have beseemed him
just much had he been the democratic vice
presidential nominee instead
Coolidge believes in the manliness Of men as the
best solution a lot of the problems with which
the country is confronted. lie wants Improvement
in the quality citizenship. only rs
zens OF the republic but in their private relations
Of to man. He encourages free and clear
thinking. square dealing, honesty Of expression
which probably wasn't. but might have been in
tended as a rap at his running mate.
Like Gambetta he holds that ideas make pol-
ticaI party" whereas Interests can only make
group"-and ne pleads for government for all the
people for which. might crtcise him. ignoring
he does the republican composition Of competing
interests impervious ideas that idealsm, from
mere mention. always provokes a sheer.
AS TO the League Of Nations it is to be taken
for granted that his comment submitted in ad-
to Sen. Harding and other influential
publicans. 1t therefore gives significance what he
had to say that subject. He does squarely
contradict Harding He shades and qualities him;
gives what he said a little different slant THE
PLATFORM" ne points out approves this action of
the senator's" meaning Of course the r. uDlican
senator's who twice voted for ratification" but
ne doesn't tell which senators-whether Johnson
and Borah the irreconcilabIes. Lodge. Knox, Wat
SON. Harding etc, the nullifers or McCumber, the
pro-Leaguer-wanting only the mndest of rcserva-
lions at the most Indeed ne forgets TO mention
that there were any reservations in the "ratifca-
ton" that the republican senators twice voted
for and one might almost assume that ratification
without reservations the republican policy;
but OF course, ne doesn't say
To be ne could not without flying in the face
Of Sen. Harding, but the very fact that he
allowed. urged to say much he old. is
pretty good proof that the republican managers
have taken alarm the exceedingly bad impress
sion made by the Harding fiat abandonment of the
League covenant,-and is that be the job OF Gov.
Coolidge throughout the campaign? Is it the plan
of the republicans play Harding out-and-
nulher. or near-irreconciable. and then fol-
low him up with Coolidge salve it for the
mld reservationists and the out-and-out pro-
Ieaguers. the League stands?
But started out recounting the republican
wish that the at the head Of the ticket
reversed their sadness. lest they lose in the cleo
tion in consequence and that should they win. II
would require a catastrophe TO correct the mistake
made at Chicago. Such corrections are exceeding
IS The republicans have been wise only in
providing for the emergency. Harding is stH the
leading candidate and the country is asked to elect
him-Coondge being merely sort of tai-feather,
and therefore despite his virtues. of but minor
account in the canvas