The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-06-16
Editorial
of the Day
THE PLATFORM

OAl. bit tll4llS ltdlAl HdNNtItu III
the republican platform this year. 1t
was the plank dealing with the treaty
and the league OF nations. The other
planks might be excellent, mediocre,
non-committal or positively bad, and
the country would not greatly care.
All eyes were fixed on the single issue.
What would be said about peace?
What attitude would be taken toward
our international obligations that would
put an end TO all great wars, bring
about gradual disarmament. and re-
lease human energies for the peaceful
building up OF civilization? These ques.
tions were felt TO be not only of su
preme Importance in themselves. but
absolutely critical for the republican
party. For the time had come for It
simply been playing politics with the
treaty or whether the profession ar
its leaders in and out Of the senate
had been sincere. They affirmed that
they were anxious TO ratify the treaty
and enter the league provided their
Chicago to see if this were to be
proved true or false. They also looked
to discover whether the majority Of
the party was to allow itself to be
overborne by a threatening and terror.
izing minority.
The final compromise patched up Is
said 10 please everybody" That means
inevitably that it can please nobody
who believes in honest thought ant
plain speech. When a plank delights
Hiram Johnson on the one hand, and
on the other is perfectly satisfactory
10 Murray Crane. somebody is being
cheated. and the attempt TO humbug
the public is obvious. The long array
Of glittering generahties reported by
the subcommittee may mean anything
or nothing. The certain thing is tina,
it flies directly in the face Of the
platform adopted by the republicans
OF New York and Massachusetts, 1t is
an affront to the churches and the
labor unions and the colleges that
have asked for a clear and specific
adhesion TO the league OF nations
The whole thing smacks Of the spirit
Of the Chicago stock yards and a deal
in cattle.
AS we have said the other parts or
the platform must necessarily seem OF
minor consequences. The tariff has
furnished the chief battle cry OF the
republican party for almost as long
as the party itself has existed, but this
year the trumpet gives an uncertain
speak-begins nowhere and gets no
where. 1t weakly starts out by admit.
ting that it is impossible to frame
definite program 10 see conditions
year hence" But that has always been
true TO degree. Yet ii has never till
now deferred the republican party
from going boldly on to enact tariff
laws that might or might not meet
future conditions. The plain truth t.
OF course, that the facts OF interna-
tional trade and the huge debts owed
20 the United States by Europe have
made the republican high-tariff theo-
ries seem silly. All that the platform
can do now is feebly to protest that
the time may come when the party
will dare to talk again about "presery.
ing the home market" and shuttlnr
out foreign goods, but that IL dares
not do so just now. The whole is
surely a dying fall to the old song
Of a high protective tariff
Other planks in the platform woul,
invite extended comment we're II nor
that they are thrown into the shadow
by the one great issue. What is said
about the railroads deserves praise.
The utterance about labor and strikes
and public tribunals to settle Industrial
disputes are In q stronger and more
satisfactory tone than might have
been expected. The references 10 the
war loans and TO the management ~
the federal reserve bank during the
great crisis are not worthy OF a party
that has so often boasted OF standing
for sound finance and the upholdins
Of the national credit. A mean read.
ness to take advantage OF the dis.
content OF ignorant people who have
seen their liberty bonds decline in
market value one might have looked
for in a candidate running for county
clerk. but It is not fitting for the
historic party Of intelligence preparing
to nominate a president.
All these subordinate matters. how.
ever, sink out Of sight compared with
the one great outstanding issue. A
party which has gone wrong on that
marks Itself as evasive, cowardly ana
insincere. 1t also marks Itself as
stupid, for It makes present to It's
political opponents OF commanding
political and moral issue.