Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-16
Party's Principles Enunciated by
National Convention at
Chicago.
sUNPREPAREDNESS" CHARGED
Plank Covering the League of Nations
Is Considered in the Nature of a
Compromise-Strong Stand
on Mexico.

sion at Chicago:
The Republican party assembled In
representative national convention, re-
affirms its unyielding devotion to the
Constitution of the United States and
to the guarantees of civil, political, and
religious liberty therein contained 1t
will resist all attempts to overthrow
the foundations of the government or
to weaken the force of its controlling
principles and ideals, whether these
Attempts be made in the form of in
ternational policy or domestic agitation.
For seven years the national govern
ment has been controlled by the DEM
ocratic party. During that period a
war Of unparalleled magnitude has shak-
en- the foundations of civilization, deci-
mated the population Of Europe, and
| left IN its train economic misery and
| suffering second only to war itself.
UnPreParednsss for Var.
The Outstanding features Of the DEM
ocratic administration have been COM
plete unpreparedness for war anu COM
| plete unpreparedness for peace.
Inexcusable failure to make s,t timely
| against the Democratic administration
in the conduct of the war. Had not
| our associates protected US, both on land
and sea. during the final twelve months
Of our participation, and furnished US
| to the very day of the armistice with
munitions, planes, and artillery, this fall
ure would have been punished with
| disaster. 1t directly resulted in unnec-
essary losses to our gallant troops, In
an enormous waste of public funds lit
orally poured into the breach created
by gross neglect. Today 1t is reflected
in our huge tax burden and in the high
cost of living.
Unpreparedness for Peace.
Peace found the administration as un-
prepared for peace as war found II I'M
prepared for war. The vital needs OF
the country demanded an early and
! systematic return to peace time basis
Intelligent planning. All three have been
lacking While the country has been
left to shift for itself, the government
has continued on a war time basis.
The administration has not demobilizec
the army of place holders 1t continued
method of financing which was in
: defensible during the period of recon,
struction. 1t has used legislation passed
to meet the emergency OF war TO con
tinue its arbitrary and inqusitorial con
troll over the life of the people in time
Of peace, and to carry confusion int
Industrial life.
"FIounders HopeIessIy."
Under the despot's plea of necessity O
, superior wisdom, executive usurpation o
legislation and judicial functions SUI
undermines our institutions. Fighter
months after the armistlce, with its war
time powers unabridged, its WARTIME
departments undischarged its WARTIME
army of place holders still mobillzed. I'M
| administration continues to founder help
| lessly. a.,
The demonstrated incapacity of tn
Democratic party has destroyed pupn
confidence, weakened the autaoIi.S =
government, and produced feellng 0
distrust and hesitation so universal a
+ TO increase enormously the dlfnculues
reimbursement and to delay the retur
to normal conditions are
, tinn hAAr how
with graver nraJse solving these prob
>entitlAio that end, the Republican party
7 declares its policies and program to b'
| as follows:
Constitutional Government.
We undertake to end executive au
| tocracy and to restore to the people the
constitutional government.
The policies herein declared will bC
carried out by the federal and state
governments, each acting within its con
stitutiOnal powers.
Congress and Reconstruction.
Despite the unconstitutional and dicta
! torial course of the president and the
| partisan obstruction of the Democratic
congressional minority, the Republican
majority has enacted program OF con
structive legislation which, in great part
| however has been nullified by the vindic-
! tive vetoes of the president.
The Republican congress has met the
/ problems presented by the administra-
ton unprepared for peace II has re-
pealed the greater part of the vexatious
| war legislation. 1t has enacted a trans
portation act making possible the re.
| Mobilization of the railroad system OF
the country. the operation of which I'M
| der the present Democratic administra.
| ton has been extravagant and wasteful
ton act made provision for the peace
| full settlement of wage disputes. partial
| ly nullified. however. by the presidents
delay in appointing the wage board ere,
| ated by the act, This delay precipitated
| the outlaw railroad strike.
We stopped the flood of public treas
ure recklessly poured into the lap OF
| an inept shipping board, and laid the
merchant marine. We took frem the
| incompetent Democratic administration
| the administration of the telegraph and
telephone lines of the country, and re-
| reduced the cost of postage and increased
the pay of the postal employees-the
poorest paid of all public servants. We
| provided pensions for superannuated and
| retired civil servants, and for an increase
| In pay for soldiers and sailors We re-
| organized them on peace footing and
e erfu and eff effdtsnt navy. Oh Pow"
Passed Suffrage Amendmept.
The Republican congress established by
| law a permanent women's bureau in the
department OF labor. We submitted to
the country ahe copstitutiona amend
|
Inished % q the IS segis1atgres which rat
sa@srs d pra t5s atK Rs SION
q Of the Powers q the gSgernTtpt under
the scope of the iwar risk INSURANCE act
better provision for the dyinaling, mum
| and for She better support of the
MANNED arm injured Of tbe great war,
and for malons practical the vocational
rehabilitation act that has been enacted
by the RepublicanRongress.
We passed an oil leasing and water
power bill to unlock for the public good
the great pent-up resources OF the coun-
try; We have sought to check the pro-
higacy of the administration. to realize
upon the assets of the ,government, and
to husband the revenues derived from
taxation. The Republicans An congress
have been responsible for cuts in the es.
Inmates for government expenditure OF
the armistice.
We enacted a national executive budg-
ct law; We strengthened the federal re-
serve act, to permit banks to lend need