The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-08

II by surrendering our present freedom
of determination and action to the COM
pelling or directing will of others.
Have Suffered Enough.
Surely we have suffered enough
from the autocratic assumption OF
personal wisdom which will neither take
counsel nor learn from experience. To
formulate plan of international CO.
operation. which will contribute to the
security and peace of the world without
sacrificing or dangerously diluting our
power to direct our own actions, Is
task of no small difficulty. l should not
be fit to hold the high Office of President
If did not frankly say that 1t is a task
which l have no intention of undertake
ing alone. There are many and con-
flicting opinions among the people and
among the members of the Senate upon
the subject. These opinions must be
reconciled and harrnonized If we are to
have any international association for
peace at all.
Il shall not risk embarrassing the
final solution CT problem so momen-
tous by undertaking to lay down in adj
vance specific details or plans. I am
In favor of our doing our full part in
the rehabilitation of the world and in
securing humanity against the horror
and tr9 gedy of future war.
II am An favor of America meeting
her every righteous obligation in this
respect. But ] shall never present to
the Senate any compact by which we
shall in any degree surrender or leave
In doubt the sovereign power Of the
United States to determine. without the
compulsion or constraint of any extra
constitutional body. how and when and
to what extent our duty in that respect
shall be discharged.
las soon as possible after my cleo
ton / shall advise with the best minds
in the United States and especially l
shall consult in advance with the Senate.
with whom, by the terms of the consttu-
ton, ! shall indeed be bound to counsel
and without whose consent no such in
ternational association can be formed.
shall do this to the end that we shall
have an association Of nations for the
promotion of international peace, but
one which shall so definitely safeguard
our sovereignty and recognize our ulti-
mate and unmortgaged freedom Of
action that 1t will have back of 1t, not
divided and distracted sentiment, but
the united support of the American peo-
pie Without such united support no
plan can be made fully or permanently
successful
Speaks to 10000 In Two states.
The Des Moines meeting was easily
the most interesting OF the day, exceed
ing in interest tina crowded and lively
meeting in Omaha tonight Part OF
this was due to the dramatic quality OF
Harding's spirited and successful replies
to organized hecklers. and part to the
temperance in public of Senator Cum
Minis, who has been very sick man.
and who is still too i'll to participate
actively in the campaign.
All told it is probable that Harding
spoke directly to $4,000 people in Iowa
and Nebraska to-day. In addition to
the two speeches that had been pre-
pared for Omaha and Des Moines, he
made many short train-end talks on the
way from Des Moines to Omaha. In
this level country, where the glance
roams to the horizon, 1t was perfectly
easy to measure the public interest in
the candidate. Whole towns quit work
and everybody floclSed to the depot
There was little new In his speech
here tonight. He chose to reemphasize
his devotion to law and order, and he
made 1t plain that political prisoners.
so-called, have little to expect from him.
Senator Harding said:
II believe that no man can be a can
didate for the highest executive office
in the service of the American people
without giving consideration to the pub
lie sentiment of his countrymen as to
the enforcement of law and order.
propose upon this occasion TO state. as
frankly and as definitely as l can, that
which / believe to be the true American
principles which we must all safeguard
In maintaining the security of our ma
ton.
"It Is easy, when in haste, or at times
of heated emotions or weak sentimen-
talities, to fall into grave errors In re-
spect to our American standards OF law
and order. Therefore, have deemed
il my duty to give thought and analysis
to these questions. and. through you.
to present my conclusions to all the
people.
Unfortunately, 1t Is often those who
are most insistent upon the maintenance
of law and order who, in their zeal,
give cause for further breaches OF the
peaceful administration of our communi-
ties. Sometimes there are those so zeal
Gus for law and order that their words
and acts In behalf of cur institutions
constitute In themselves, serious
breach of our laws and an offence to
our social sense of what Is fair and
right and just. Then the self-termed
devotees of law and order themselves
become menacing to our peace.
mo true American Will argue that
our laws should not be enforced. / refer
TO laws, no matter of what nature,
whether they be those which deal with
ordinary criminals and mlsdemeanors,
or those which deal with acts or trea-
son to the United States. threatening
to the Constitution and the fabric OF
our social organization. I wish no one
to misunderstood me, and. therefore.
will say as plainly as can that for my
part / can see no essential differences
between ordinary crimes and ordinary
criminals on the one hand. and political
crimes and political prisoners on the
other hand. II there Is distinction.
surely 1t is not a distinction which
favors political GRIMES or political pris-
oners. The thief, or any ordinary crimi-
nal. - surely less a menace to those
things which we all hold dear than the
man or woman who conspires to destroy
our American institutions.
II have been asked many times dur
ing this campaign whether l would
grant general amnesty, as it Is called. to
political prisoners. My answer trust,
is clear. l would not A general grant
Of amnesty to political prisoners is no
more justified than a general grant OF
amnesty 10 yeggmen. If there is any
distinction between the danger of yegg-
men and political conspirators, / be-
lieve that most Americans will uphold
me when / say IL Is the political con-