Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-08-12
GOVERNOR JAMES N. COXS SPEECH OF 4CCEPTHVCE

nomination for president.
Chairman Robinson, and members OF
Me notification committee: The messag &c
which you bring from the great con-
terence of progressive thought assembled
onder the formal auspices of the Demo-
tic party inspires within me a
pride and an appreciation which
cannot voice. At the same time
am mindful of the responsibility which
49,. function now officially places upon me.
-. l measure my own limitations the
,..k ahead Of us should he approached
with more than n feeling of dffidence If
| we're not strengthened and treasured
oy the faith that one has only to practice
.rue fidelity to conscience. 1t is not the
difficult thing to know what we ought to
10; the sense of right and wrong has been
given with Divine equality The mistakes
Of history are the result of weakness in
the face of tempting interests. | thank
God, therefore, that | take up the stand
ard of democracy a free man, unfettered
~ promises and happy in the conscious
ness of untrammeled opportunity to rem
der a service in the name of government
that will hold for it the confidence which
IL deserves.
TIME FOR STRAIGHT ACTION
We are in a time which calls for
straight thinking. straight talking and
webbing. Never in all our history has
more been done for government.
Never was sacrifice more sublime. The
most precious things of heart and
home were given up In spirit which
guarantees the perpetuity of our in
stitutions-if the faith is kept with
those who served and suffered. The
altar of our republic is drenched in
blood and tears. and he who turns
oh iero-
lions Of the war. not consecrated to a
sense of honor and of duty which re-
sists every base suggestion of per-
sonal or political expcdiency, is un-
worthy of the esteem of his country
men.
LAUDS DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM
The mon and women who by ex-
pressed policy at the San Francisco
convention charted our course in the
omen seas of the future sensed the
spirit of the hour and phrased 1t with
clarity and courage. 1t is not neces-
sary to read and re-read the Demo-
cratic platform to know its meaning.
It is a document clear in its analysis
of conditions and plain in the pledge
Of service made to the public. 1t car
ries honesty of word and intent.
Proud of the leadership and achieve
ment of the party in war, democracy
faces unafraid the problems of peace.
Indeed, its pronouncement has but to
he read along with the platform
framed by Republican leaders in order
that both spirit and purpose as they
dominate the opposing organizations
may he contrasted. on the one hand
we see pride expressed in the nations
glory and a promise of service easily
understood. On the other a captious,
nj wi of
subjects vital to the present and the
future. in terms that have completely
confused the public mind. 1t was clear
that the senatorial oligarchy had been
given its own way in the selection of
The presidential candidate. but il was
surprising that it was able to fasten
INTO the party platform the creed Of
hate and bitterness and the vacllating
policy that possesses it,
THE PEACE TREATY
In the midst of war the present sena-
.orial cabal, led by Senators Lodge, Pen
rose and Smoot, was formed. Superficial
evidence of loyalty to the President was
deliberate in order that the great rank
and file of their party, faithful and pa
triotic to the very core, might not be
offended But underneath this misleading
exterior, consprators planned and plot
ted, with bigoted zeal. With victory 10
our arms they delaya1 and INSTRUCTED
the works of peace If deemed useful to
the work in hand no artifice for inter-
tering with our constitutional peace max
ing authority rejected. Before the
country knew, yea, before these men
themselves knew the details of the COM
poste plan, formed at the peace table,
they declared their opposition to It. Be-
fore the treaty was submitted to the
Senate in the manner the constitution
provides, they violated every custom and
every consideration of decency by pre-
senting a copy Of the document. procured
unblushngly from enemy hands. and
passed it into the printed record of sena-
torial proceedings. From that hour dated
the enterprise of throwing the whole
subject into a technical discussion. in or
der that the public might be confused
The plan has never changed in its ob1ec-
tive, but the method has. At the outset
there was the careful insistence that there
was no desire to interfere with the prin-
ciple evolved and formalized at Nersail'
les Later, 1t was the form and not the
substance that professedly inspired at
tack But pretense was futile when pro-
posas later came forth that clearly enas-
culated the basic principle of the whole
peace plan. 1t is not necessary TO recall
the details of the controversy in the Sen
ate. Senator Lodge finally crystallized
his ideas into what were known as tne
Lodge reservations, and when Congress
adjourned these reservations held the
support Of the so-called regular Republi'
fan leaders.
CHICAGO PLATFORM VAGUE
From that time the processes have
been interesting, Political expediency
In it's truest sense dwarfed every con
sideration either of the public interes
Or of the maintenance of the honor o.
great political party. The exclusive
question was how to avoid a ruptur,
In the Republican organization. The
country received with interest to say
the least, the announcement from Chi
cago, where the national convention
was assembled, that platform plank
dealing with the subject of worlC
peace, had been drawn, leaving out tht
Lodge reservations, and yet remaining
agreeable to all interests, meaning
thereby. the Lodge reservationists, thu
mild reservationists and the group o
Republican senators that openly oppos
ed the League of Nations in any form
AS the platform made no definite
commital of policy and was, in fact
so artfully phrased as to make almos
any deduction possible, il passe'
through the convention with practica
unanimity. Senator Johnson. however
whose position has been consistent AM
whose opposition to the league in an,
shape is well known, withheld his sup
port of the conventions choice unit