Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-10-28
HARDING SUMS Up
AIMS Of G. D. P.
Pre- Election Statement Issued to
American People by Repub-
Leans Nominee

might, declared the Republican party
'coes to the people assured that they
viii recognize its superiority as an
iustrumentality of administration and
that in the election now Impending
hey will give It the certificate OF their
confidence and trust
The Republican presidential nominee
criticised Democratic administration
~ governmental affairs, declaring che
nation is determined TO be done with
Democracy under the mere guise %
Dem ocratlc forms The Republicau
party he asserted. has proposed in
it's platform and developed In the ut
tcranceS of Its leaders, program
which contempiates equal opportunity
'or all" and recognizes the vices Of
"xploitation and profiteerine"
As 20 tho League of Nations issue.
Senator Harding summarized his
partv'a position as follows:
"7he Republican party purposes
such AT association OF nations a g
"il nos, effectively further the as
,'rstion 70. world wide and permanent
n-a3= without sacrificing any part of
"a" Independence of the American ma
don. r. believes America can and must
hAar its full part in the responsibil-
: les o. tA5 world, hut II always be-
i'evns that America alone must decide
What that part shall be
Senator HaTding's statement follows:
n asking the suffrage OF the Amer
Tan electorate the year. the Repub-
""hr pe.rty has IN mind both tho rec
,Td # service from it's beginning,
"r.rs ~ It IS very proud. and the vi
SO. II opportunity for service in the
future which its spokesmen have pre-
ss"tod during shis campaign. We are
asking that great responsibility be
imposed upon Tag. 1t is responsibility
mat nirnt be measured ny both the
sravtty of the CRISIS that corfronts the
Grid and the inoapacity with which
the present administration has met the
e." "blerns OF the last few years Oner-
rus as 10 tho rcspOnR ihility ,ce seek
our party has no thought OF evadiug.
for It never has been guilty Of that
Democratic economic and admins
'rativa policies had brought this couu-
Try TO the danger Of disaster before The
outbreak OF the war In Europe. The
vast expansion Of our export trade and
demands upon our producing facilities.
which came with the war saved us from
Immediate precipitation of that disaster.
But that phase has now passed and
nothing but "a return 10 those construc-
tive and progressive policies which have
ministratfou can save US from early real
Ization Of tho danger that confronted us
at the middle OF 1917.
''From the beginning Of the war in
Europe the Democratic administration
steadfastlS refused TO prepare for the
national defense IN case we should be in
volved. In lglG. when it was apparent to
most people tha. our country was in
imminent danger of being drawn into the
struggle the Democratic party made
us campaign on the boast that II had
kept US out II war. and the promise to
continue keeping us out. Thus. when
we found ourselves at last IN the styug-
ele, we were utterly unready for It. and
our participation cost We immeasurably
more than It should have cost
An administration that. when all the
world was i'm conflaEration. refused 10
realize the Importance Of preparedness.
IF course could not he expected to realize
while We were nj war the necessity OF
preparing for peace. 50 We entered into
peace quite az unrGady for Il az we had
been for war Our economies wore dis
organized. our debt enormous our FOR
eign commerce devoted largely 10 sup
plying the necessaries of war.
Instead Of setting itself TO rciuedyina
these conditions. the administration has
mistice to promoting - prolec, of world
reorganization in which America should
hear the largest responsibilities of guar
snteeing a new scheme of things Instead
Of making legal peace as soon as actual
peace had been won. the American peo-
pie. alone Of all the warning nations,
were denied by their government the
privilege of return to the legal status
of peace and to the enjoyment OF those
rights which they had temporarily sur
rendered under the circumstances Of war
The circumstances OF war. SO long
rs war was on, Republicans upheld the
hands Of the administration. forgetting
party considerations, and gave their vote
IN support Of war measures far more
generously than did their political OPP
ponents. Yet an autocratic administration
repaid this loyalty with tho demand,
In the campaign of 1918, that Repubi-
csns be removed from every position of
influence and power. That demand the
country rejected. II was the first time
In the history Of this nation that an adj
mnistration had been defeated in the
midst Of n foreign war. That defeat would
nave been ample admontion TO any ad-
mlnistration not entirely absorbed in it's
own peculiar policies and purposes. But
rae acute domestic situation the ad-
crest in foreign affairs that contrasted
impressively with its lack OF concern
for them In the period before we were
drawn into the war.
so, while immediate and practical
concerns were being neglected while
reconstruction and reorganization of our
own country were forgotten, the admins
tration was devoting itself TO the chirera
NJ a world reorganization. The RepubIi-
Fan Congress, that had been elected in
The autumn of 1913. attempted to. and did
initiate measures to set us on the right
track once more. 1t devised Il budget
'ystem in the hope of putting an end to
he treasury deficit and bringing economy
and system into our national finances
But the President vetoed that measure
rhe administration went right on spend
ing vast sums In excess of our revenues
offering no constructive inspiration or
leadership, apparently forgetting our
domestic difficulties in its engrossment
with the chimera Of world reconstruc-
lion.
This, in a word. is the record of the
administration, now about to retire from
power. which seeks to have it's policies
perpetuated. The country VIII decline
to give its confidence and its mandate
10 that party or those policies. 1t re-
members that the Republican party
fought the Civil War and afterward re-
stored and unified the nation. It be-
ieves that the Republican party IL
capable of repeating that service. and
because it so believes. It Is going to re-
turn the Republican party 10 power.
The nation IL determined to be done
with autocracy under the mere guise OF
Democratic forms; 1t Is determined that