New-York tribune., 1920-09-16
Harding to Base
Plea to Women
On Maine Vote
(ContInued from pace one)

upon the part of one individuals
opinion.
Our two-party system has lasted
longer in the United States than any
other political system now existent
under any constitutional government.
1t is being adopted in the United King
dom. Independent movements, unless
based upon some great cause, result in
the many-party systems of Continental
Europe, and these, in their turn, mean
one party in controlfor brief period,
while the opposite parties join in
.blocs.' as they are called, not by agree
ing to constructive program, but
merely by agreeing to destroy the min
lstry and party in power. Because of
this, political life becomes merely de-
structive, and little progress is made
upon constructive policies.
Our two-party system has brought
progress and prosperity to America,
and the party not in power has always
proved capable of gaining influence to
check recklessness or willfulness Of the
party having control.
Appeal to New Voters
81 believe, therefore, that we will
want to say first to all new voters:
"'Join one of the two great parties
I'VE must point out especially to
women voters that our own party Of
fers to them the best hope of measures
of our human resources and of the
American home.
"The Republicans are committed
to policy .of solving housing
problems and encouraging home
owning The platform of our op-
ponents fails to consider the subject.
We have declared specifically for long
list Of social justice and social well
fare measures, unmentoned by the
Democratic platform. We stand now,
as the Republican party stood before
the granting of suffrage, for partci-
patton of all our citizenship in the for
nation of the peoples free will.
"lt is needless to point to the fact
and Democratic Governors and Demo
cratic legislatures Of Democratic states
have been the forces of obstruction
which have prevented earlier action
upon the universal grant Of suffrage.
I'VE have no desire to claim that the
Democratic party nor even the one
man domination of it, which now seeks
to perpetuate it's war-power govern
ment, stands for war. But we do claim
that the bungling at Paris and the
unfortunate tangle created in negotia-
tions looking toward an association of
nations is squarely upon the shoulders
of our opponents.
Workable League Plan
"American women will realize with
Us that the work OF building an asso-
citation of nations which will prevent
war must be undertaken again by
those who are most capable of creating
a workable plan and committed to that
policy. They realize with US that
America, In the exercise of her obliga-
tons to the world, must be guided by
her own conscience and not by mort
gaging that conscience to debtor ma
tions.
"America1 women must realize that
the League of Nations as presented by
= Democratic Administration would not
mean peace for US, but would mean
American boys living in army tents
overseas and asked to die in causes in
which they would have no heart. Such
a league as the American people have
rejected would mean mandates under
taken in faraway places.
"Such league as has been devised
by bungling hands would not mean
peace and amity with the world, but
entanglements, stress and the return
of the bodies Of our men who had been
called across the ocean on strange, un-
American errands.
Women are too wise and too fine
in moral sense to listen to technical
discussion tending to prove that hav'
irg made q moral promise by an IN.
defensible international agreement, we
could induce Congress to withhold the
action needed to perform our moral
obligations. We must measure our OBJ
legations in determination to live ur
20 them.
I've are all desirous> of preventing