The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-11-11
BRYAN CONDEMNS
WILSON'S POLITICS
COMMONER BLAMES PRESIDENT
FOR AUTOCRATIC METHODS
EMPLOYED


sihle for the disaster that on Tues
day overlook the Democratic rarty.
He. says the president laid the foun-
dation and the governor completed the
structure. In a statement given out
this evening just before leaving for
the East, Mr.. Bryan severely con-
demned the president, nor does ne
spare Gov Cox.
The statement says:
"While the majorities are larger
than even the Republican leaders ex-
pected, a Democratic defeat was in
evitable, and the blame is easily
placed. The president laid the foun-
dations for the disaster and Gov.
Cox completed the structure. The
president attempted to drive out Of
public life every Democrat who dared
to differ from him even in minute de-
tails, while he made no effort to
strengthen the Democrats who made
him the keeper of their conscience.
"He alienated all Republican sup
port and invited partisan opposition
by his appeal, just before the election
of 1918 for Congress that would sup
port his personal leadership and then'
though knowing full well that the ma
iority in the nation was against him,
he refused to deal with the Senate as
a coordinate branch of the govern
ment.
"Instead of recognizing that the
constitutional provision requiring a
thirds majority for ratification
compelled compromise, he insisted up
on debating the terms upon which rat
ification could be had and then on the
/ 9th of March stubbornly rejected rat
with reservations even when
Senator Harding and some thirty
five other Republicans were willing to
accept the League as he wrote it with
the few changes upon which they IN
sisted.
"By thus preventing ratification
the President assumed responsibility
for the nations failure to enter the
League, and thrust the League into
the campaign as a partisan issue.
The people, confronted with the choice
between presidential infallibility and
respect for the opinion of the majority
of the Senate, naturally chose the lat
ter, and the Democratic party, by en-
dorsing the presidents position, IN
vited the defeat that has overtaken 1t.
"Gov. Cox, instead of repairing the
injury done by the president, aggra
waited the situation by the manner IN
which he avoided domestic issues and
misrepresented the position of the
Republican party on the League is
sue: which he declared to be para
mount.
"His attempt to put the Democratic
party in the attitude of being the sole
guardian of peace was ridiculous, s',d
his assaults upon such well-nown
advocates of peace as ex-Presldcnt
Taft and Herbert Hoover were dis
graceful.
"The American people want the
government to play its part IN the
abolition of war, but they are lndlf-
ferent as to whether we are part OF
a League or part of an association OF
nations. There is nothing In a name
but everything in sentiment. The
real issue presented by the Democrat
ic party was not whether we should
cooperate with other nations inter
ested in peace, but whether we should
assume moral obligation which had no
weight except as it suspended the
right of Congress to act independent
lv when the time arrived for action
The nation will do its part IN cldmg
to prevent war, but it will not sur
render into the keeping Of any foreign
group the right to determine when
we shall declare war.
"Now that our participation VIII
rest upon the will of Congress ana
not upon the arbitrary opinion OF a
single man, we may expect that uni
yersal disarmament will be made one
of the conditions upon which we at
tempt to advise.
"The country will expect Mr.. Hard
ing to carry out his pledge to ad-
vance the cause of world peace, and
there is no reason to doubt that ne
will do so. In the meantime, the
progressive forces Of the nation will
organize to compel Congress and the
president to provide the legislative
means by which the masses can pro-
tect themselves from the greed of the
exploiters."
T,,o< ,.oro;ved q carload of Red Rust