Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-01
Constructive Democracy Us.
the Party of Obstruction.
THE case of constructive Democracy
against the clubbing and reaction

THE case of constructive Democracy
against the quibbling and reaction
airy party of Harding and Lodge
found a highly effective statement in Homer
Cummings keynote speech before the Dem
ocratic National Convention, a statement SO
eloquent with truth as to merit place pc
culiarly in it's own in the pages OF American
history. Speaking as temporary chairman OF
the great council now gathered at San
Francisco, Mr.. Cummings, reviewed the
peace and war time services of the Demo
cratic administration invsboth its executive
and legislative aspects. 80
Turning to the record, written so large
and plain that none can gainsay it, he
showed with what fruitful results Democracy
has labored for the country's welfare through
these last seven eventful years. how it has
abolished old evils, indicated rights long
denied, and strengthened all the bases OF
the peoples prosperity; how it has removed
s'the extravagances and inequities' of a
tariff system devised for the patronage OF
special interests, and has established non
partisan tariff commission through winch
rates can be intelligently and fairly made;
how it instituted, over the opposition OF
Republican leaders, the Federal Reserve sys-
tenn, thereby enabling America ito with
stand the strain of war without shock or
panic" and ultimately making our country
'the greatest creditor nation OF the world"
He showed how this prominently construc-
tive administration freed the farmer from
the deadening effects of usurious financial
control" and how through the Smith-Lever
bill it created fresh and intellectually help
full forces of agricultural progress. These
and scores of kindred achievements in peace
he set cogently forth; and then
I'VE fought a great war, for great
cause, and we had a leadership that
carried America to greater heights of
honor and power and glory than she has
ever known before in her entire his
MI. t.
ocratic administration there have pass
ed more than forty billions of dollars
and the finger of scorn does not point
to one single Democratic official in
America. 1t is record never before
made by any political party in any
try that ever conducted a war"
No less plain and indelible than this
Democratic score of service is the Republic
can record of pettifoggery and obstruction
Since winning control of the House and
Senate in the election of 1918, upon prom
Uses of efficient and productive work, the
Republican organization has done nothing
but carp and confuse and undermine 1t has
been peculiarly careless of the nations hon
or and peculiarly Indifferent to the public
welfare. Sterile of constructive ideas itself,
it has, blocked Democratic plans for the re-
lief of crucial needs. As Mr.. Cummings
succinctly puts it: >a-@g-,4
Twice the president went before con-
gress, since the termination of HOSTILE
ties, calling attention to needed legisla-
ton. He urged the passage of laws re-
lating to pro1teering; measures to sim
pity and reduce taxation appropriate
action relative to the returning soldiers;
the passage of a resolution concerning
the constructive plans worked out in
detail by former Secretary Lane, and
the measures advocated by the secre-
tary of agriculture. He suggested that
the congress take counsel together and
provide legislation with reference to in
dustrial unrest, and the mutual rela-
lions of capital and labor. After more
than year of sterile debate, our coun-
try has neither peace nor reconstruct
ton. Barren of achievement, shameless
in waste of time and money, the record
of the present congress is without paral-
lei for it's incompetencies, failures and
regulations. Are the American people
so unjust or so lacking in dscrimina-
tion that they will reject the service of
a party which has kept its word and
place trust in party which merely re-
news the broken promises of a previous
campaign?
There can be but one answer, as The
Journal sees it-and that an overwhelming
Reputation of the party of Harding and
Lodge-if the San Francisco convention
proves worthy of the attainments upon which
it stands and Of the duty to which it is sum-
moned. 1t is inevitable that the delegates
there foregathered from every corner of the
Union should differ on some questions, and it
is right tnar rnere should be the utmost free
dom of thought and expression; no "Old
Guard dictation has any place in Democratic
councils. But On the outstanding all inpor-
tant issues of the time, there assuredly can
be no irreconcilable differences among the
party's thoughtful spokesmen at San Fran
cisco. Instinctvely they will stand together
on Democracy's great legislative and execu-
tive record of the last seven years, and will
follow the cue of those noble ac1!cvemen5a
in proclaiming policy for the future Log
ically, they will call for retention of the
liberal and constructive spirit which has
ruled at Washington under the Democratic
regime, and for an untrammelled application
of that spirit to the problems of RECONSTRUCT
ton now pressing upon us. Logically, too, they
will choose candidate qualified, in point
of character and ability, to bear aloft the
standard Of party whose face is set for
ward whose hands are the hands of build
er, whose soul is dedicated to kumanity's
good. So poised and SO led, Democracy will
deserve success and, we have 80 l,2,;',,GG, will
win it. o.. -. III