New-York tribune., 1920-09-15
Text of Senator Harding's
Speech ON Japanese Issue

senator Harding said in part:
Amerlcans: l greet you who come
from far places, with deep gratitude
Tor the honor you have done the cause
represent, which believe is the cause
OF al the people of America.
There is no sectionalism in the Unit
ed States, and if we all, by tolerance
and justice and patriotism, stand to-
gether-th North and South, the East
and the West-we will perpetuate that
spirit by which America has had her
being and her glories, coming through
stress and storm at times, but always
coming through.
Proclaims "America First"
America First That spirit, my
friends, is behind our individual citi-
zenship, which conceives government as
being the expression of a community of
interests and not a paternal, or auto
cratic, or one-map source of pretended
benevolence. 1t is an absurd idea that
government may be the distributor of
magic resources. The only resources
of government are the resources that
its citizens put into it.
LET us not allow those who would
like to retain the autocratic power
which the war put into their hands
to deceive free Americans with the
dcluslon that democracy painted as
sign over their works conceals the
fact that they have robbed US Of true
democracy. They have set up a one
man dictatorship which they, of course,
desire to perpetuate and which finds
in their various spokesmen the express
sion, we are in full accord
THE Senate is not popular with those
who attempted to merge inspiring ma
tionality in paralyzing internationally;
1T is not in favor with those who
dreamed government, backed by
a military alliance, to be preferable to
the exercise of American conscience,
which gave us eminence for rare un-
selfshness.
"Those who rail at the Senate accept
the constitutional existence of Senate
and House only when these bodies from
the people are in perfect accord to
perpetuate dictatorial rule. But the
people have come to a new appreciation
of Congress, and find assurance in the
renewed functioning Of those bodies.
with the return to constitutional
government under Republican sponsor
ship. we mean to restore coordinated
activities and Congress ional RESPONSE
bility. There will be no trespass of
the Executive on the constitutional
rights of Congress, there will be no
surrender to Congress of the constitu-
tional powers of the Executive.
"Refectvely contemplating seven
year period Of fine words, much die
tation, tinkering with business and
unwarranted assumption, l confess lit
tie wonder the Democratic party COM
plains about Senate 'oligarchy'
The Senate 'oligarchy,' as they call
II, and the 'oligarchy' Of the House Of
Representatives forced them toward
efficiency in making war, and forced
them toward some efficiency. though
much bclatcd, in reconstruction for
peace, and interfered to stay the prod
igal waste Of the taxpayers money, and
prevented America from being caught
into the snares and tangles of their
laundering in Paris.
No One-Man Power
alt is strange and deplorable thing
that The control of the Democratic
party has fallen into hands that even
now are reaching out in their perfect
accord to perpetuate the condition of
extreme Capitalization from which