The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1920-07-03
Cummings Keynote Speech
Democratic National Convention
Peace Treaty and League of Nations Dominant Issue IN the
Coming Presidential Campaign

He referred to the Irish problem
only incidentally. During a discus
sion of the Republican platform he
said: ut contains no message OF
hope for Ireland"
The Republican platform, reac-
~tionary and provincial" he said, is
the very apothesis Of political expedi-
ency. Filled with premeditated SLAM
ders and vague promises, 1t will be
searched in vain for the n construc-
tive suggestion for the reformation
of the conditions which it criticizes
and deplores. The oppressed peoples
of the earth will look to 1t in vain.
1t contains no message of hope for
Ireland; no word of mercy for Ar
menia, and IL ~conceals a sword for
Mexico"
The Democratic party, he said, be-
tore the outbreak of the war, enacted
more effective. Constructive legisla-
ton than the Republican party had
enacted in a generation
The income tax, he said, relieved
the law of the reproach of being un-
justly burdensome to the poor; a
non-partisan tariff commission, he
said, will provide scientific revision
of the tariff hereafter. Pan-Amer-
icanism was encouraged; Alaska was
opened to commerce and develop
ment; dollar diplomacy was destroyed,
according to Cummings; a corrupt
lobby driven from the National cap
itol; an effective seamen's act adopt
ed; the Federal trade commission
created; child labor legislation en-
acted; parcel post developed; a sec
rotary of labor seated in the cabinet;
eight-hour laws adopted; labor was
removed from the category of COM
modities by the Clayton amendment;
corrupt practice act adopted and the
Federal reserve system established.
IF the Democratic party had ac-
complished nothing more than the
passage of the Federal Reserve Act
it would be entitled<to the enduring
gratitude of the Nation" Cummings
said. "Panics, he said, ARE now but
a memory"
Under the Republican system
there was an average of one bank
failure every 21 days for a period of
nearly 40 years. After passage of
the Federal reserve system, there
we're in 1915 four bank failures, in
1916 and 1917 three bank failures;
in 1918 one bank failure, and in 1919
no bank failures at ALL"
Passing to the record of the Re-
publican Congress, he said 1t had ig-
nored the Presidents recommended
tons for measures relating to prof.
teering, taxation, appropriate action
relative to the returning soldiers"
etc. He termed the session barren
of achievement, shameless in waste
of time and money"
Cummings launched into a detailed
defense of the treaty and the League
of Nations. He said America is hon
or bound to ratify the treaty, and
cited events in chronological order to
prove his point.
Thus, before we entered the war,
we made the pledge, during the war
We restated the pledge and when the
armistice was signed, all the nations,
ourselves included, renewed the
pledge; and 1t vas upon the faith of
these promises that Germany laid
down her arms" he said.
He called the League of Nations
covenant the Monroe doctrine of the
world and said its purpose is ito give
notice that II any nation raises it's
bloody hand and seeks to cross the
inc into any other country, the forces
of civilization will be aroused to sup
press the common enemy of the
peace"
"Such a covenant, he declared,
would have prevented the world war.
The Republican plank regarding
peace, he termed, "a vague promise"
which does not name Our proposed
c~o-partners" in a different form of
association among nations of a ten
uous and shadow character"
He defended the league along much
he same lines as were followed by
President Wilson before his sickness.
He attacked the Republican mem
bers of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee as designing from the
outset to mutilate the treaty" be-
cause it was negotiated by a Demo-
cratic President" He said Senator
Lodge had refused to suggest amend
ments offered by Taft, Root and
Hughes had been Incorporated.
ItC6aAdAA6 tAC 0CLatC TOiCt6u IlC-
lations Committee. he said:
1.-THE Foreign Relations Commit
tee, Immediately following the last
election, was reorganized with a per-
sonnet consisting of the open foes of
the treaty. Among the number was
Senator Borah, who declared that he
would not be for a league of nations
were the Savior of Mankind to advo-
cate 1t. Senator Johnson, Senator
Knox and Senator Moses whose ha-
tired of the President amount to an
obsession, were also members, and
Senator Lodge was chairman.
THE treaty was referred to the
committee thus s~tudiously prepared
for its hostile reception. The mem
bers of this committee adopted every
subterfuge to misrepresent the docu-
ment which they were supposed to be
considering as statesmen .
The Senate had even begun discus
sion of the treaty months before its
negotiation was concluded, and did