Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-14
HARDING FOR
AMERICA FIRST
Senator Defends Republi-
cans Against Oligarchy
Charge.
HELD PREFERABLE TO
ONE-MAN DICTATiON
Senators Elected by the People For
Puruose Of Safeguarding Their In
terests Would Fall Short Of Duty
Should They Always Bow to Die
tates of Men in White House-For
Tariff Revision.
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
Marion. Sept. 14.-Senator Hard
ing was visited at his home here to-
day by large delegation OF Cali
fornians, to whom he spoke at length.
He took occasion to defend the SEN
ate against the democratic charge Of
setting up an oligarchy. and defend
ed the senate as the representatives
Of the people who have duty to
perform regardless Of the dictates of
one man In the White House. Sena-
tor Harding called attention to the
needs Of agriculture and horticulture
in protection by adequate tariffs
against the inroads OF food supplies
from foreign countries. He said in
part:
America First" That spirit, my
friends, is behind our individual citi-
zenship which conceives government
as being the expression OF a COM
munity OF interests and not pater-
nal or autocratic. or one man source
of pretended benevolence. It Is an
absurd idea that government may be
the distributor Of magic resources.
The only resources OF government
are the resources that its citizens
put into 1t.
Let us not allow those who would
like to retain the autocratic power
which the war put into their hands
to deceive free Americans with the
delusion that democracy painted
as a sign over their works conceals
the fact that they have robbed us
Of true democracy. They have set
up a one-man dictatorship which
they, lof course, desire to perpetuate,
and which finds in their various
sDokesmen the expression. are
in full accord"
For Constitutional Government.
4 confess little patience with those
who complain about that which they
choose to call senate 'oligarchy.'
Those who prefer autocratic, per-
sonal government to- the representa-
tive institution which was inherited,
and under which he have wrought
to the astonishment of the world,
naturally oppose the senate exercis-
ing it's constitutional functions. They
do not like representative govern
ment and its reflective deliberation
which discriminateS between ephem-
eral passion and popular fancies on
the one hand and dependable public
opinion on the other. The senate is
not popular with those who attempt-
ed to merge inspiring nationality in
paralyzing internationally; it is not
in favor with those who dreamed
world government, backed by a mil
itary alliance, to be preferable to the
exercise OF American conscience
which gave us eminence for rare un-
selfishness. Those who rail at the
senate accept the constitutional ex-
istence Of senate and house only
when these bodies from the people
are "in perfect accord" to perpetu-
ate dictatorial rule. But the people
have come to<a new appreciation of
congress, and find assurance in the
renewed functioning Of those bodies.
Il like to remind our people that
and senate, and in these two bodies
of congress are more than five hun
dred men commissioned by the
American millions. thru popular
vote, to speak and act for them, and
to share the solemn responsibilities
of government which are far too
heavy for one man to assume.
For War and Peace.
My own observation has been that
| congress was naturally disposed to
prepare for war, and, having learned
the unspeakable cost of failure to
prepare for war, was still more dis
posed to prepare for peace. In the
unhindered excise of it's constitu-
tlonal functions, congess would have
done both.
with the return to- constitutional
government under republican spon-
sorship, we mean to restore coor-
dinated activities and congressional
responsibility. There will be no tres
pass of the executive on the consti
tutional rights Of congress, there will
be no surrender to congress of the
constitutional powers of the execu-
| tive.
"Reflecting contemplating a seven,
year period Of fine words, much die.
tation, tinkering with business, anc
unwarranted assumption, I confess
little wonder the democratic part,
complains about senate "oligarchy.'
OF Course. They Are Irritated.
"The senate 'oligarchy,' as the,
call it, and the 'oligarchy' of tn.
house Of representatives, forced then
| toward efficiency in making war
| and forced them toward some eff
ficiency, tho much belated, in re-
construction for peace, and inter
fered to stay the p-odigal waste O
the taxpayers money,~and prevented
America from being caught into tn,
snares and tangles of their blunder
ing in Paris. OF course they are ir
ritated because representative gov
ernment-that safeguard of our re
public-got in their way. If the,
were quite frank about it, they woult
speak with equal irritation abou
another 'oligarchy'-an 'oligarchy
| which they never consulted much
| the will of the American people.
! ut is a strange and deplorabl