Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-11
THE DEMOCRATS FAILED TO
TAKE THE MESSAGE TO GARCIA
This Is Why the Nation Is Looking to
the Republican Party for Con-
struetive Craftsmanship

|
months ago to decide that they wanted a
change.
The issue. then. is the ousting of n party
that has proved false to it's trust and the
substitution for it Of another party in con =
troll of the national government.
No one has made the specifications in the
indictment against the Democratic party
with greater ClcarncSs than Mr.. Hoover
After calling attention to the hearty CO.
operation of the Republicans with tho Demo
Gratis in the prosecution of the war, Mr.
Hoover remarks
But with victory accomplished. the
leaders Of the Democratic party. disre-
Earding this cooperation. decided to ig-
more one.half of the people Of the United
states and to make peace alone. Here l
believe, lies the beginning Of it's failure
In statesmanshp We have simply drifted
IN the last two years In political leader
! ship this party. at least for the present
has ceased TO function.
The armistice was signed in November
! two years ago. Tho peace treaty was sub.
Mlttcd to the Senate tn" following July It
was ratified with little delay in all the other
allied and associated nations where there
| was effective leadership rogni2ant of the
necessity of action. There was absolute
failure in the White House to recognizes the
conditions under which agreement could be
reached here. Indeed. that failure began
when the American peace delegation was
named.
No treaty can be ratified without the con-
S"nt of the Senate. Neither party had the
necessary two thirds majority in that body
II was patent to most oi us that it was n
stupcndous b'undcr to ignore the Republican
half of the Senate. and to ATTEMPT to lam
down its throat an international agreement
in tn" drafting Of which the United States
was represented only by Il man who held
the Republican Senate leaders in rontempt
and was very frc" in expressing his opinions
on that matter.
The peace delegation included more per-
sons than Mr.. Wilson, but Mr.. Wilson went
his own way and when his decisions were
announced in the conference his associates
learned of them for the first time When he
came home his own party was in ignorance
of his purposes lie took no one into his
confidence. The Democratic leaders in the
Senate floundered hclplessly for months be-
fore the Presidents health broke down And
continues because the leader in the White
House was Determined aS Mr. Hoover says
to make Democratic peace or none
Mr.. Wilson failed to deliver the message
to Garcia And not only his party, but the
United States and the rest of the world are
suffering today from that failure.
This is true in spite of the many ad.
mrablo qualities of the President His
high idealSm is splendid and has been an
inspiration far beyond the bounds Of the
United States. But n statesman is measured
by his achievements aud leader iS measured
by his ability to carry his forces to ultimate
victory. BY these tests the President is
found lacking. And because he and his
party are lacking. the nation is preparing to
put the management of its affairs in other
hands. in the confident hope that the new
men will arrange for the co operation of the
United States with other nations in an nsso-
citation for the preservation Of the world
peace.
Mr.. Hoover is right when he saws that the
dispute has not ben over the principle Of a
world association. 1t would be difficult 10
find n corporal'S guard of really influential
men from the Atlantic to the Pacific who
oppose such an association. 1t has been
urged for years by men of all parties, but
the Republican leaders have been more in.
sstpnt on it than the Democratic leaders, II
is a plan born Of the same kind Of dcaIism
that gave birth to the Republican party, and
its practical merits are such as commend
themselves to the kind Of intellect that has
directed the great constructive policies that
have been the glory of the Republican party.
What disagreement there has been has
arisen over the conditions under which the
United States should enter such an associa
ton. Unless the conditions are satisfactory
to a majority Of the people we might as well
stay out. Unless the association itself is
such as to have the support of the people of
the nations within it it will be powprlpss.
Such effectiveness as it is to have will de-
pend entirely on whether the men who have
framed its charter have successfully discov.
cred just how far the people are willing to
go to prevent war.
In the United States it has been obvious
for months that the nation was not ready
to accept the covenant Of the League Of
Nations as Mr.. Wilson submitted it to tho
Senate. There has been demand that Il be
interpreted and rewritten in such way a.
TO assure every one that We were not sur
rendering more than we gained. Whether
that demand had a just foundation or NOT
is not important. 1t was one of tho facts
which a constructive statosmanShip would
have recognized, for as Mr. Hoover has said,
ION methods men must divide and states
manship will compromise
thp circumstances If is MT
ing that Mr.. Hoover, who has been engaged
for years in constructive work, conciiatinr
opposing forces and smoothing away differ.
pnces in order that results might be accom-
plishcd, should declare that "to have obsti
nately held up the peace of the world for
eighteen months; to have rejected the on.