Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-11-04
WILSON AND cox
TO BLAME--b
oommoner Says Wilson Laid
Foundation Of Democratic
Disaster
NOMINEE FOLLOWED LEAD

Lncoln, Neb., Nov. 4.--William J.
Bryan holds President Wilson and Gov
trnor Cox jointly responsible for the
disaster that overlook the Democratic
party on Tuesday. lie says that tho
President laid the foundation and the
governor completed the structure. In
q statement given out last evening, just
before leaving for the East, Mr.. Bryan
severely condemned the President, nor
does he spare Governor Cox. The
statement says:
while the majoritics are larger than
even the Republican leaders expected.
a Democratic defeat was inevitable and
the blame Is easily placed. The Presi
dent laid the foundation for the disaster
and Governor Cox completed the struc
ture. The President attempted TO drive
out OF public life every Democrat who
dared to differ from him, even in mi
mute details, while he made no effort TO
strengthen the Democrats who mads
him the keeper of their conscience. He
alienated all Republican support and
snv1ted partisan opposition by his ap-
peals, iust before the election of 1918.
for a Congress that would support his
personal leadership, and then, though
knowing full well that the majority in
the nation was against him, he refused
70 deal with the Senate as a CO.
ordinate branch of the government.
3}E Insisted on Dictation
'.Instead of recognizing that the con
ttitutional provision requiring a two
thirds, majority for ratification com
pelled compromise, he insisted upon
tiictating the terms upon which ratiti-
cation could be had, and then. on the
90 h,,k rni
fcation with reservations, even when
Senator Harding and some thirty five
other Republicans were willing to ac-
cept 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 partisan issue. The peo-
ple, confronted with the choice between
nresidential infallibility and respect for
the opinions of the majority Of the
Senate, naturally chose the latter, and
the Democratic party, by indorsing the
Presidents position, invited the defeat
that has overtaken it.
"Governor Cox. instead of repairing
the injury done by the President, Rg
xrnvated the situation by the manner in
which he avoided domestic and mis-
represented the position of the Rcpub-
ucan party on the league issue. which
he declared to be paramount. He lodged
the liquor question, seeking to create
IN the West the impression that he ia
vored prohibition while attempting to
hold the wet vote of the East by his
vet record. He sought TO conCiliate
Wall street by advocating tho repeal
0f the excess profits tax while he ap-
realed to the West against the rpac-
t1onaries.
"His attempt to put the Democratic
party in the attitude of being the sole
guardian of peace was ridiculous, and
his assaults upon such we'll known ad-
vocates of peace as eX-President Taft
and Herbert Hoover were disgrnCetUl.
Indifferent to League
'sThe American people want the gov
-Rnment to play its part in the aboli-
ton of war, but they are indifferent as
70 whether we are. part of league or
Rart Of an association of nations. There
10 nothing in name, but everything in
a sentiment. The real issue presented
by tho Democratic party was not
whether we should cooperate with
other nations in peace, but whether VIC
should assume moral obligation which
had no weight except as it suspended
the right of Congress 10 act indepen-
IDENTIFY when the time arrived for aC
ticn. The nation will do its part in aid J.
ing to prevent war, but it will not sur
render into the giving of any foreign
group the right to determine when we
shall declare war.
t"Now that our participation will rcst
upon the will Of Congress, and not upon
the arbitrary opinion Of n single man,
We may expect that universal disarma
nient will be made one Of the cOndi-
tions upon which We attempt To advise
Peace by terrorism has proved impossi-
BILE; peace based upon friendship and
cooperation will be tried, provided the
nations of Europe are willing 70 lay
aside their land grabbing schemes and