The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-10-20

he deems TO De necessary, does nm lnJus-
ticc. VI
Il wish to be real democrat in
spirit. / wish to play the game of govern
nent as its rules are contained in the
of the United States. / feel,
therefore that though / favored the Will
son league and hoped that it might be
ratified and favored article 10 and hoped
that it might escape elimination, when /
found that it could not be ratified / urged
as strongly as l could the acceptance of
the reservations offered by the Republi-
cans in November, 1919 and in February,
1920. | felt that President Wilson made
himself the proper subject of the severest
criticism in not being willing to accept
a COMPROMISE which the senate had q I
right to offer him. BY insisting on article
10 he had destroyed his league and Mr..
Cox proposes to do the same thing.
The only possible hope of making
progress toward a league of nations to /
secure peace is by the election of Mr.. /
Harding The present election is not a /
referendum the result of which will de- |
ternline whether the American people are |
in favor of Mr. Wilson's league or against |
it. The issue of this election is whether
we shall approve the Wilson administra- |
ton From my observation, and / have
had great opportunity in every part of
the country, / believe that the majority
of the American people We're in favor of
Mr.. Wilson'S accepting the reservations
ianU entering lut itdSub.. L DeI1eNe further
that majority of the American people are
against article 10, and 1 think this, al
though / favored article 10 and would
have been glad to see it ratified. The
question is what can be done under the
| rules of the game that is, under cOnsti-
tutional provisions, to bring the United
States into an arrangement with other
nations to prevent war. 1t seems to me
clear that in the existing situation Mr..
! Harding's election is the only means of
securing this.
Other parts of Mr.. Taft's speech were
intensely interesting in that they de
nounced Mr.. Wilson's attitude toward
counsellors even during the war Mr.
| Taft said public opinion alone forced the
| President to select able men to make
America effective IN its war organization.
| The issue said Mr.. Taft. (which the
American people are going to vote upon
| in this election no matter what Mr.. Cox
wishes, Mr.. Wilson wishes or Mr.. Hard
ing wishes, is whether they approve the
administration of Mr. Wilson. Mr.. VIII
son is man of exceptional ability and
| Of still more exceptional personality and
he has stamped that personality upon his
administration so completely that he is
the administration. 1t is impossible
therefore, to talk in this campaign with
tout talking of Mr.. Wilson. He loves the
exercise of power and is morbidly sensi-
Tive to any attempt, real or fancied, by
tanyone. whether congressman. senator or
prominent Democrat, TO interfere with his
control"
The former president said that Mr.
I Wilson's jealousy for power and refusal
to delegate it could alone explain the dis
mISSal of Secretary of State Lansing.
"lsdid not object" added Mr. Taft, Ito his
going over to Europe. Indeed | thought
it would educate him in the affairs of the
world. but in 50 far as it minimized the
necessity of appointing able men on the
commission to assist him it had bad re-
suits"
;. Mr.. Taft paid his respects to Governor
Cox. saying he had considerable official
experience as governor of Ohio and has
shown himself a shrewd and active poll
tician, who has saved himself from defeat
because of his utilization with the Iiauor
groups in politics.
Cgndemning Governor Cox for refusing
TO summon the militia when Cincinnati
was so much at the mercy of the street
railway rioters" the former President
lcailed the Democratic nominee "a temper
izer with mob violence" rather than one
who would maintain the law and order
Turning to labor questions, Mr.. Taft
SAID Samuel Gompers expected Governor
| Cox If, elected. to yield constantly to his
advice as Mr.. Wilson had done
| Il do not minimize Mr.. G6inpers's val
liable services during the war and l agree
with his insistence upon read collective
bargaining. but / think ii would be harm
tul to the country for him. to continue to
exercise in the next administration of the
labor department and other departments
of the government the same power which
has been his in this administration"
After reviewing the work of the Wilson
administration, and discussing the fitness
of both Governor Cox and Senator Hard
ing. Mr.. Taft concluded with this state
Iment: AS between the two candidates.
both of whom | know. / have no difficulty
in expressing decided preference for
Senator Harding"
Thus were dashed to the ground anv
lingering hopes which Democrats NAV
have had that the leading advocate of the
league of nations in the Republican party.
a man who campaigned for the Wilson
league and appeared one the public plat
form with President Wilson himself.
would ignore domestic questions and CON
slider the forthcoming election a referen-
dun on the league issue alone.
| Tho ~, al e NJ, II 49, aCo