Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-09

statesmen to mask their preparations
| for a renewal of greed-inspired con-
quests later on.
Peace must mean peace that will
| last. A practical. workable. perma-
nent, enforceable kind of peace that
Will hold tightly as the business
contracts of the individual. We must
| indeed be, above al things, business
+, like and practical in this peace-treaty-
making business of ours. The league
OF nations is a practical solution of
practical situation. 1t is no more
perfect than our original Constitution
winch has been amended eighteen
times and will soon, we hope. be
amended the nineteenth, was perfect.
~ is not anti-national, it is anti-war.
NO supernation binding us to the de-
clslonS of its tribunals is suggest ed
but the method and machinery by
winch the opinion of civilization may
become effective against those who
seek war is at least within the reach
| of humanity
Through it we may with nearly ev-
| cry other duly constituted govern
ment in the whole world throw our
moral force and our potential power
INTO the scale of peace. That such an
OBJECT should be contrary to Ameri-
can policy is unthinkable; but if there
| De any citizen who has honest fears
| that 1t may be perverted from its
plain intent so as to conflict with our
established form of government, 1t
viii be simple to declare to him and
| to the other nations that the Consti-
tuition of the United States is in every
way supreme. There must be
no equivocation. no vagueness. no
doubt dealing with the people on this
/ issue. The league will not die. An
| idea does not die which meets the call
OF the hearts of our mothers.
Peace Must BE Established.
So. too. with peace. War may be
! declared" peace cannot. 1t must be
established by mutual consent. by
meeting of the minds of the parties
| IN interest. From the practical point
! OF view alone peace by resolution
| OF Congress is unavoidable. From
| the point of view of the millions of
splendid Americans who served in
that whirlwind of war, and of those
other millions at home who saw. in
| our part of the conflict, the splendid
hope of days of peace for future gen.
erations. a peace by resolution of
congress is an insult and denial of
our national purpose.
| Today we are offered a seat at the
table of the family of nations to the
end that smaller peoples may be
| truly safe to wark out their own
destiny. to the end that the sword
shall not follow on the heels of the
merchant, to the end that the burden
OF increasing armies and navies shall
be lifted from the shoulders of a
world already staggering under the
weight of taxation. We shall take
| that place. l say so because l have
| faith-faith that this nation has no
selfish destiny. faith that our people
are looking into the years beyond for
better things, and that they are not
afraid to do their part.
Lands Party Pledges.
| SC
pecially happy in the pledges given
in the platform of the democratic
party. That document is definite 1t is
| a solemn pledge that. given the au-
| thority. our party will accomplish
| clear aims.
national needs ! place the lettering
Of our citizenship. the extension of
| teaching to over 100000 of our pop
/ ulation above the age of ten who are
| illfterate, the Strengthening of our
immi grafton laws to exclude the
physically and morally unfit. the i'm
provement of working conditions es-
pecially in the congested centets. the
| extension of communications to make
rural life more attractive, the further
| protection of child life and of women
| in industry. All of these demand ac-
| ton. If we raise the standard of edu-
cation. of physical fitness, of moral
sense. the generations to come will
have no difficulty in coping with the
problems of material economics.
So also with regard to the further
development of our natural resources
we offer a constructive and DEFINITE
objective. We begin to appreciate
that as a nation we have been waste
| full of our opportunity.
| The golden rule of the true puplic
servant is to give to his work the
same. or even higher. interest and
| efficiency that he would give TO MS
| private affairs. There is no reason
| why the effectiveness of the national
government should not at least ap,
| nroximate that of well conducted
| private business. Today this is MOI
| the case. 1 may be pardoned II
| draw on my experience OF over seven
| years in an administrative position
| 10 state unequivocally that the gov
| ornamental machinery requires reor-
| eanization. The system, especially
since the war, has become antlquateo'
No mere budget system, much as we
need that, will correct the 1auits'
| Urges Changes in Senate huies.
! FIRST of all. the methods of the leg1s-
latiye branch of the national govern
ment, especially IN the upper noos *.
| reouire drastic changes. 1t is Sa1e 10
saw that the procedure of the Congress
has progressed less with the times than
, in any other business body in the coun-
| try Yet it is upon the Congress that
! every executive department must walt
| Anneals to the House and Senate IN
| tho last session fell on apparently zeal
| ears , ,,o
| In the administrative branch also
| great changes must take place. Inc
| functions of the departments snoulu oe
! redistributed along common-SenSe Hnes
and methods provided to standarolle
and prevent duplication OF effort Fur
Their. it is high time that government
employment be placed upon propeI,
| level. Under the safeguard OF civil
service the salaries must appfoHnni,ate
those paid in private employ. Today
we are faced with the fact that the
majority of the most efficient govern
ment employees leave the service when
f, they are becoming most valuable.
The less useful remain. Many mil
lions of dollars could be saved to the
! taynayers by Redistribution or the
service. by the payment of adequate
compensation and by the rigid ehmina-
| t;on of those who fail to measure up
70 high standard. All of this also
has been called to the attention or the
nresent Congress without result, ana
Congress only can authorize the remedy
In the consideration of the needs OF
| the country and the conduct OF It's az
| fairs. like to dwell particularly on tnat
| mart of Lincoln's immortal phrase "nicn
sneaks of government for the people.
; Service on the part of men and women
in the government is not enough II
! must be unselfish service, II must oe
service with sufficient breadth OF view
| to include the needs and condltiots "
every kind of citizen, OF every sectio'