Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-02-20
Press Comment


- FORA pOIIECE
VIII H Hays is chairman.~of the
Republican National Committee. 1t
is usually the duty of the chairman
to take the policies Of his party and
h candidate nominated by the con-
vention and so present them to the
public that they will win at the polls,
but Mr.. Hays finds himself facing a
greater task. He must find out what
the policies of the party are or de-
velop policies before he can present
them.
Inc policies are usually put into
words by a committee at the national
convention. and that will be done
this year but they usually exist so
definitely In h hearts and the minds
of the people that the work of the
convention is merely to give express
sion to beliefs we'll defined.
But the party which serve the
country and the world SO well under
the leadership of such men as Lin
coin and Grant and Garfield and Nc
kinley and Roosevelt had its policies
for which ZACH man in his turn was
ready to fight to the last ditch.
1t took no scouting committee to
find out Lincoln's policies for. saving
the Union, nor Grants reconstruction
views, nor Garfield's labor policies,
nor McKinley's determination to in
duce manufacturers to put up mills
in which to make goods in place of
goods bought in Europe, n to m
ploy American labor, nor Roosevelt's
policy later to oppose combinations
and excessive prices by those same
manufacturers.
Those men and their party stood
for something; you might agree with
them or not. but you could know
what their beliefs were and the is
sues they brought into the cam
r-;ro AI&, n ar,,1 &Iot. ha1taf- IN.
| street corners and in stores and they
were heralded in print and from plat
forms.
But the party which Mr.. Hays is
called on to pilot has no outstanding,
leader and no outstanding policy.
Mr.. Hays is confronted with that
condition and Is trying to formulate
a policy. In the first place a COM
mittee on policy and platform was
! appointed. On that committee we
| read the names of w. Murray Crane,
! Of Massachusetts,; Boise Penrose, of
Pennsylvania; and Charles B. War;
rem of Michigan.
These men have some idea as to
government and who should admin
lister 1t. In 1912 they were the bull
wark of the anti-Roosevelt forces.
They did their work at the Chicago
convention and that work drove
Roosevelt out of the party OF which
he had been the leader for years,
and resulted in w%recking 1t.
Times have changed. but those
men are still there. Maybe they have
changed. Maybe not. That remains
to be seen.
Mr.. Hays has appointed $50 men
to act with these men in suggesting
a platform for the party. The $50
are supposed to be close to the peo-
pie. but their suggestions will be
sifted by Mr.. Crane, Mr.. Penrose, Mr..
Warren and others on the smaller
! committee.
1t is a very interesting procedure
to watch.
vii there be men or a man
among the $50 strong enough in
character and fixed enough in beliefs
to force the interests of the general
, public on the committee and through
them to the convention and on to
the people? For the good of the
F, Republic. for the good Of all, let us
! hope so. but let us not be fooled.
We all know that Senator Lodge,
the nominal Republican leader. was
for a League of Nations until 9
Democratic President came forward
with one. We know that in the sem
ate the party of Lodge and of Hays
has kept this nation out of a league,
and tina many in the party fear go
ing before the public on the record
of the senate leaders.
II out of Mr.. Hays plan a new
Header will rise, one who a come
anywhere near ranking with the
great leaders who have gene before,
Mr.. Hays will rave done the. country
a distinguished seryics.-Dearborl
l Independent.