Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-11-10

The People Oehind Il

SuAlIuldu reSS OI Tue RcpuUl1CAu
Congressional committee in an inter-
view on the election and the work
ahead is entitled to credit for the
frank. clean-cu presentation he gave
of the actual conditions. Unless one
has carefully gone over the ground he
is unaware of the fact stated by Mr..
Tess that: This election has shown a
smaller number of Democratic mem
bers of the House from the North and
West than Republican members from
south of the dividing line"-meaning
the Mason and Dixon line.
In view of this condition he has the
courage to admit: THE tremendous
vote of confidence given the new ad-
ministration is not confined to posi-
tive favor toward a Republican ad-
ministration." THE prob
lens involved in this election are
both imminent and commanding.
The electorate is not committed to
support today may be opposition to-
morrow, dependent upon how the
party in power treats the problems
committed to it." And one of the
first duties confronting it is to secure
relief from war taxation and he says
the executive and the legislative must
cooperate to cut this cost of govern
ment to the bone He insists this
needs immediate. attehtion and thinks
Congress should create commission
to give taxation thorough over
hauling and should enact budget
system.
With regard to the Republican
break in the Solid South" he says:
The Republicans chose fifteen dis
tricts in the South in which to make
contests. These were taken as tests
TO ascertain the feasibility of at
tempting TO break the Solid South"
The list included three in Virginia,
three in North Carolina, one in Ala
hanna. three in Tennessee, two in
Texas and three in Oklahoma. These
were in addition to the border states.
OF the fifteen tests ne won seven
and made remarkable showing in
the other eight. We did not anter
either Georgia or Arkansas. both of
which were represented as very good
fields for Republican policies. The
result demonstrates the possibility of
misunderstanding a mi IL -.
Southland which would not only be a
valued result to the nation at large,
but good thing for the South as
The outcome of the election car
ries an interesting story. 1t spells in
unmistakable terms the rebuke of
wisconsin as an un-American effort
to override by autocratic methods
American rights safeguarded by con.
stitutional limitations in our organic
law. 1t is reputation of Wilson's
effort of group control in which en-
tire blocks of votes were sought
through official favor, as in the
Adamson act. 1t demonstrates the
kceness Of the American voter to the
danger of sovietizing our industries
mocratization of Industry the best
example of which was the Plumb plan
Of rail control. 1t also demonstrated
that American labor is not only sound
at heart, but independent OF domino
ton from labor ofiicialdom.
NO one has ever yet delivered the
labor vote in this country nor 10 it
likely ever to be SO delivered.
The enormous Republican plurali-
~ was largely due to the woman
vote, not altogether because of Re-
publican policy toward woman SUI
frage or toward progressive meas.
ures. which appeal to the woman in.
stinct and sense of right, but in addi-
ton the pronounced dislike of the
character of the Cox campaign which
was an offense to the refinement of
the womanly sense OF public service.
The composition and character of all
Republican meetings, which dis
played an intelligent enthusiasm and
tone Of refinement unknown to polit-
zeal campaigns. foreshadowed the
drift Of the woman voter"
To put his conclusion briefly, the
people, a. never before, got behind the
Republican party to accomplish GER
tain results which they believed it
capable of doing. and IL they will
stand nrln behind It In tho lous and
tedious tasks to be dope the Repub-
hcao party viii make good.