Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-07-22
ly advocating the league with reservations.
And poor Harding has no platform to guide
a Slush Fund Conspiracy
him..

II is more than strange that the Repub-
l licans. in the light OF n patiently aroused
| national conscience, should SO far ignore the
public temper as to bark back to the days
of Mark Hanna for their political methods
and continue to interpret party opportunity
and party fealty in terms of dollars and
cents. And ii is a fatuousness akin TO
blindness that they should SO soon forget
| the prcconvention revelations, brought out
by their own senatorial investigation, which
convicted their leading candidates OF at
tempting literally to buy for cash the presi-
Dental nomination. All these things, with
contcmptuous disregard OF the American
demand for a greater measure OF political
purity, they have laid aside. and now are in
the market to purchase four years in the
White House for the man whose nominal
party leadership was made possible only
when the scandals in which his stronger
opponents were enmeshed became so out
rageous that even the senatorial oligarchy
dared not afront the public sense OF de-
cencE further by putting one of them at
the head OF the ticket
Size OF the proposed Republican slush
fund is variously reported. conservative es-
Inmates placing it far up in the millions
In any event, with the bars down, and the
interests sensing an invitation to con-
tribute in the protective tariff wall which
each favored industry the funds will pour
IN until, as Governor Cox charges il will
De sufficient TO stagger the sensiblities OF
the nation. There is little OF secrecy about
thls conspiracy to buy the presidency"
The facts in all their sordidness are before
the people, and they are expected to counte-
nance, or at least compacently to witness,
inns knocking down at auction OF the worlds
most powerful and honora BILE Office
iS.,
can render abortive this presidential sale
conspiracy and administer d lasting rebuke
to the conspirators who would thwart the
national will and besmirch the national
Eonor Let them demand with an insistence
that cannot De denied that the Harding
forces accept the Cox challenge for the ut
most publicity OF funds. with names of con-
tributors and amounts in statements Of
fixed frequency. That is what the Demo-
Gratis propose to do. The open light of day
VIII shine in upon their campaign expendi-
lures. There can be, then, no CRY OF 'slush'
or purchase" and. when the campaign is
ended, whatever its result, there can be no
revelations from the Democratic camp to
shame the voters. Do the Republicans dare
accept the challenge? In public they have
clamored for political purity, and in private
they nave debauched the electorate Their
senators hoped TO manufacture campaign
material by exposing Democratic preconyen-
ton expenditures and succeeded ONLY in
laying bare the rottenness OF their own
methods. Now they are going before the
people pleading for their suffrage, but thew
nave given no indication Of any change of
heart toward that suffrage as an object of
bargain and sale. If they honestly accent
the chailange ii will go far toward raising
TINS election TO higher plane than many
mat preceded it. or if. ostensibly accounting
'oF do not honestly keep faith. they will
pnvcted of the conspiracy with which
!iocratic nominee mas charged them
'.''se:er their answer. the people have been
put on guard.