Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-08-14
"a
THE HEAVY HARDING

.sI rather think" said Mr.. Hard
INC '.that / would rather be the
brother of the doctor today than be
a visitor who is never any longer
permitted to forget that he is
candidate for: office He takes his
candidacy. very seriously if ne can
not. speak at his brothers birthday
party without reminding the corn-
pany that 3he is running for tne
Presidency
The ponderous person cannot take
an automobile ride without laborlors-
" looking into. every incident fer
material for a campaign speech. lie
must get tcrriblygtired of himself
He struck some pieces of bad road
and got back onto the good road as
soon as he, could SIS This suggested
to him that the country has been
making a detour and must get back
at once to. the, highway. There IS
no doubt that he is deep thinker,
But we should. like to know little
more aboutsthat sdetour. Does be
mean the great war? Is he sorry
that we got into that?
These questions are of some i'm
,portance becaue he. is running on a
platform which ignored the war. 1t
did not congratulate the country on
what it accomplished because it &C
complished it under the direction OF
a Democratic Administration. Moth
ing in the2:enormous achievements OF
the countryg.inspires his eloquence,
Neither platform nor candidate have
any generous recognition OF what
the country did for itself and for
the world, or of the splendid ccur-
age and heroism and the triumphant
success of our soldiers. 1t was all
done under Democratic Admins
tratien, and the Republicans think
the less said about it the better.
They do not dare to repudiate the
part taken by America in the con
fict with German Imperialism: the
country wouldn't stand it. But they
will ignore it as much as they can,
and when forced to recognize II they
will damn it with faint praise.
We trust the 100000 young
Americans, who responded to their
country's call, and especially the
100000 who astonished the world
at Belleau Wood tnow Marines
Wood). at Chateau Thierry. ut St.
Mihiel. iAtthe Arsonne and IN
Flanders NTH the British, vii! CO.
serve howA much the Republican
party and its candidate care abo"t
what theysdal for the honor of their
country and she good Of the world.
The only 4eneralSin whom the Re
publcans take any interest IS one
who didn't 20 - France. He d:d
go to Cuba y years ago, but that
little war ti." most mismanaged n
our history, was fought under a
Republican Administration. It's sal
lent featrtes were General Alf.er al
the head of the War Department..
General Shafter in command of tire
troops. the "embalmed beef" the
preposterocus misleading Of trans
ports at Miami and Tampa. the in
capacity shows in the debarkat:on IN
Cuba, the camps in this country
which were pestholes. the loading
down of the whole military estab-
lishplent with political generals. But
the Republicans are always really
to point with pride" TO that war
because it occurred under a 9epub.l-
can President. They are silent
about our decisive part in the great
est Of all wars.
We had to depart from the. high
way of our placid and prosperous
civil life on account. of the war in
which we saved the civilization of
the world. and we have been getting
back TO the broad and pleasant path
of peace as fast as possible. The
troops were brought home and de-
mobilized. war expenditures were
cut off ard the Government has
been withdrawing as fast as posi-
ble-too fast. we are sometimes told
-fronn its necessary interferences
with business and manufactures
and transportation. The public
debt has been reduced couple Of
billions from its highest point. We
are not in need of Harding's be!atcd
and turgid wisdom.