New-York tribune., 1920-09-12
'Coolidg &c Says
u. S. Must Put
Welfare First
CONTINUED from page oae)

IS easy. enough to enact, but difficult
to administer. Making rule Of con-
duct is not difficult; acting in ac-
eordance with it requires the effort.
Our Constitution in establishing lib
erty sets higher rule of conduct than
any other nation has ever before as
sumed.
Two Dangers Always Threaten
"There are two dangers which will
always threaten our Constitution. One
is autocracy, the encroachment of the
Executive. It is ever easy for an in
dividual to believe himself divinely
chosen to save the people. Such sal
vation is always sought by relieving
them of the esponsibilities of their
freedom, taking over the direction of
their affairs, assuming their govern
ment for them, oblvious to the great
fact that if there is any salvation for
the people it will come only by reason
of the people governing themselves
under and in accordance with their
own Constitution.
"When the war began the American
people granted powers to the Executive
the like of which were exercised by
no other person on earth. Those pow
ers have not yet been surrendered
Under them, so far as can judge, the
power exists to put draft into effect
tomorrow and impress our citizens to
be sent to fight anywhere in the world.
1t is not enough to say this will not
be done. | object to the existence of
any such powers in time of peace.
Twice the Senate, twice the Congress
sought action TO return these powers
to the people. On each of these four
occasions a Democratic Administration
prevented such return. The only agency
now seeking to bring this condition to
a close is the Republican party. The
only platform advocating self-de termin-
alton for the American people and for
their legislative body, the national
Congress, is the Republican platform.
Must Preserve independence
"The independence of the Congress
must. be preserved 1t is not the for
tune of legislatures to be popular, they
do not catch the public fancy. Being
human they may err. But no Legisla-
ture ever usurped the liberties of a
country, and no country ever lost it's
liberties until its legislative repre-
sentatives had been stripped of their
sole defender of the liberties of the
nation by the only effective means for
their preservation, an Independent
Congress, now left to the American
people is the Republican party.
There are grave assaults being
made on our system of representative
government by minorities organized for
special purposes. Their motives are
personal qualification and private in
interest rather than the public welfare,
There is no objection to these minori-
ties because they are minorites the
rights of minorities are as sacred as
the rights of ma they come
under censure because they consider
nothing but themselves. Their attitude
takes on too much of selishness even
for their own good. Against their
domination, and for the supremacy of
the public will, and the sole consdera-
ton Of the public welfare, stands the
Republican party, and it stands there
alone. The peril is imminent and
deadly. Representative government is
in the gravest danger. If representa-
tive government is to survive, the Re-
publican party must save it.
"But the maintenance and support Of
our institutions Of government are only
the beginning of our present require
ments. We have a right to look for
the results of such action in our ma
terial welfare. Our party has ALWAYS