New-York tribune., 1920-10-10

its officials. They are men Of h;yb
Ss'a1aStef and motives. These should
.S az pe haeters OF personalities, for
she eievation of personalities to The
rank OF issues is the negation Of clear
thinking. But IL we are to maintain
and sustain party government. if we are
to hold through this our onlv means
OF expression to the will of the ma
1orty. any party that fails as a party
should and must be retired from Once
in supreme national crisis such
as we have just passed through even
party government should be laid aside
The Republican party recognized this
promptly and gave its unqualified sup
port to the government from our decln-
ration OF wslr up to it's victorious con-
clusion. But with victory accomplished,
the leaders of the Democratic party. dis
regarding this cooperation, decided to
ignore one-half the people of the United
States and to make peace alone. Here.
believe, lies the beginning of its fall
ure in states1uanship. By our govern
nent alone, of all of the great govern
ments engaged upon the Allied side,
was it insisted that single party
should dominate the issues in making
peace.
'sFinally. in the bitterness of the
quarrel which has arisen over the
peace, the Democratic Administration
has so disintegrated AS to be incapable
of developed program for the great
measures of reconstruction which must
follow from the war. We have simply
drifted for the past two year po-
litical leadership that party mas, at
least for the present. ceased 20 func-
tion.
Only One Principle Involved
friends will argue that they are
martyrs to adherence to the great
principle of the unmcdifed covenant
of the League of Nations. This is
seeking martyrdom on false premises.
There is but one principle involved,
and that is the preservation Of peace
by organized international action All
else merely Involves methods II reach
ing this great object. and some of the
methods proposed are to-day regarded
by the majority of our people as being
dangerous methods. Compromise on
method is the essence of statesman
ship that would plant the foundations
Of principle solidly upon the rock of
public support. he dispute has not
been one of principle, for the Repub-
lican party has supported and doe sup
port the principle. The contention has
been over methoG5, And on methods
men must divide and good statesman-
ship will compromise.
"The most important thing in the
consummaton Of our relation to this
great world aspiration is to have the
good will of the majority of our peo-
PIE, for without such general support
any league will fail. 1t cannot have
the good will if m its methods it is
to override our national institutions
and our sense of proper national OBJ
legation. 1t cannot hold the good will
of the world if its method is founded
on either threat or obligation to use
military force, Its methods must be
the processes Of peace, not the process
ses of war
Peace Held Up at Fearful Cost
ITO have obstinately held up the
months. with its fearful cost to our
selves and millions of helpless people,
to have rejected the opportunity of
amicable adjustment of differences as
to methods; to have projected the is
sue, which, with intelligent CO.
operation would never have existed,
into the Presidential election, is the
greatest failure Of American states
manship since the Civil War
Real regard for the welfare of our
people and the world would have ac-
cepted the treaty with reservations,
matter have gone to the country on
the political issue of correcting the
reservations alone. The solemn
referendum is not on the league; it is
on the failure of the Democratic
party.
'Inasmuch as forty nations, compris-
ing three-quarters of the people of the
globe, have embraced the League of
Nations as term expressing certain
ideas, prefer that term, but | care
nttle tor terminolOgy. The essential
thlng is that the Republican party has
pledged itself by PLATFORM by the ac-
tions OF its majority in the Senate, by
the repeated statements of Senator
Harding, that they undertake the
fundamental mission to put into living
being the principle Of an organized as
soclation of nations for the preserva-
ton of peace The carrying out of that
promise is the test of the entire sim
cerity, integrity and statesmanship of
the Republican party. This is a posi-
tive undertaking. 1t is an undertaking
TO establish such en- association that
will be etfectual as far as human hand
can make it effectual for its purpose.
Faith in Republican Pledges
THE Republican party has indeed
pledged itself against the unmodifed
covenant, and those who support the
party are indeed voting against some
of the methods of the covenant in
putting this great principle into action
But this position of the party is as far
as daylight from dark from the atti-
tude Of those who wish no league or
no association for these purposes.
''lf there be persons supporting the
Republican party to-day on the belief
or hope that this party is the avenue
TO destruction of this great principle
that the party will not with sincerity
and craftsmanship carry ont it's
pledges to bring it into effect, then
they are counting or the insincerty
and the infdelity OF the Republican
party and its nominee for the Presi-
dency.
II 90 not believe it would fail or
would not be here at this moment If
by any chance it should fail it will
have made deeper wound in the
American people than the temporary
delay in our adherence to a League Of
Nations. 1t will have destroyed the
confidence of our people in party gov
ernment; it will have projected us into
the dangerous path of party realign-
ment Out of these paths grow radi-
calism, reaction and the domination of
extremists in government.
My personal view with regard to