The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-05-19
| new EPOCH IN THE
PLATFORM BUSINESS
81 DAVID LAwRBNCp
(Copyrtght BY The IneslltIeaeer.)

WASHINGTON. D. C. May lS.-En-
trely apart from the question of what
the Republican National convention
may do with the voluminous report OF
the special committee OF policies and
platforms. today may be said to mark
an epoch in the evolution OF the party
platform. Will Hays. chairman OF
Republican National Committee. and
l.. Mills. OF tho New York Legislature.
came TO town and exhibited TO room
full Of Washington correspondents the
results OF months Of research on pub
lie questions. Later these two ndi-
vlduals submitted the twenty reports
OF their subcommittee to the mem-
bers OF Congress who are to help draft
the Republican platform at Chicago:
The reports are in pamphlet form and
cover every subject OF Importance eN-
Cept the peace treaty and league of
nations, planks which members or the
Senate are drafting. The unofficial
platform committee conducted Il mail
canvass sending a printed form broad
cast asking every conceivable question.
The queries were not phrased suggest
lively but In a way that would bring out
a variety OF answers.
1t doesn't make much difference what
any one thinks Of the Republican party
or the views that have been summarized
in the big report brought here by VIII
Hays as fair reflection Of American
public opinion. But the fact is that
heretofore platforms have been made
in the excitement and haste OF COM
mittee meetings at the national conren-
al conventions and the conventions have
usually adopted plank after plank with
out much debate The assembly is
usually too large 70 permit Of lengthy
discussion.
Chart Of Opinion
Roth the Republicans and Democrats
have not infrequently been embarrassed
by the patchwork OF the committees on
platforms. Candidates have had to
stand on these platforms when they
usually had no part in framing them
The Republicans have introduced a
novel plan. They have attempted TO
use the months before the convention
70 get true chart OF the desires of the
electorate. Instead OF leaving the
subject to members OF Congress who
are often too close 10 Legislative tangies
10 get q good perspective. the Repuo-
lican National committee has gone 70
the factory and the farm 10 employer
and employees. Every delegate prob
ably will have copies of the volume be-
fore the convention begins.
Opposed by the Bosses.
Tho Democrats of course point 20 tho
futility Of the whole business contend
ing that all the material can be round
in tho daily newspapers and magazines
and that even Il condemned into plat
form planks. the machine politicians OF
the Republican party Will make, the
platform as innocuous and inonensiSe as
possible.
cd on the plan are not so sure that the
old line bosses who pull the strings are
going to be able this year TO orush
aside so monumental piece or research
work as has been done by the unornci-
al committee They hope. and private
" they insist, that nobody OF politicians
will be able to Ignore the Work or tne
platform committee II puoiic OPINION
should got solidly behind it.
Viii Hays Is a shrewd leader He
has used the progressives in the Re-
publican party TO draw up series ut
platform planks. He is courting tne
widest publicity. He hopes TO get the
Eenuhriran party committed 10 these
progressive principles so that no group
Of conservatives or standpatters can oe
feat the efforts Of the progresslves.
conservative might even be nominated
hut the platform Will breathe lor"aEu-
looking doctrine.
work OF Eminent Nsn.
Soma cminent men have collaborated
in making the series OF reports all or
which have been printed in single
volume with margin indexes Ike pig
dictionary Senator Capper heads the
James r. Garfield. civil service and
retirement: Clifford Pinchot and Dan Z.
lacking. conservation: Frank Wander
lin, banking and currency and imitation:
Everett Colby. OF New Jersey. 1ede.Si
and state rights: Helen Rogers keid,
wife OF the editor of the New York
tribune, high cost Of living: Represen-
cativc Gillett. immigration: X. ). Calo-
well, Industrial relations: George "nar-
ton Pepper. industry and commerce
John NJ. Switzer. insular possessiohs'
former Senator Beveridge. law and or
der: General Goethals. merchant ma
rine: Representative James w. Coco
national economy: George Z. Lockwood
nostaI service: William Allen White.
social problems: Ogden Mills. taxation:
Frcde lck Frelinghuysen. war fisk IN
WIN Bs orado Public.
The foregoing names are printed at
tho ;op Of the various reports showing
that each conducted the QUESTIONABLE
on the subject assigned.
Tho reports are to be made public In
a few days. The series or questions
have already been made public: mere ,,,
are far-reaching and exhaustive VIII
Hays and his associates are quite
proud Of their work. AT least they
have endeavored to find out what the
people would like to see written IN one
party platform. 1t is not extreme
neither socialistic. nor reactionary out
sort of rniddle-of- -the-road program
T. nov remains TO be seen what the
experienced politicians do with this
rard index Of public opinion when the
Republican national convention meets
next month.
Siynifcantly enough. mono OF the Re
publican aspirants for the nominstlon
They have refrained from announcing
any programs Of their own except In
General terms But the work OF the
nIatform committee will AFFORD text