Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-18

somc Rcpublicans, ne added, TO have
their party propose now to repudiate
that which was approved a few years
ago by some of their most important
ieadors. am as confident today as I
was when returned from Paris finally
in July last that the people of not only
America but of the entire world are
in favor of the League of Nations that
thcy would feel greater sense of Sc
curity If its benefits should be guarnn-
tced thot they should not approve with
their votes of the policy OF the Repub-
lican party which is wholly political in
intent and purpose, to deny them the
protection that the League Of Nations
assures.
"Thc Republican congressional
nolicy." he added. was more signifi-
cant for evasion OF Joint responsibility
in prappling with the problems that
confront the country than for any moral
apprcciation Of the responsibility itself.
Republican leaders in Congress cried
aloud for the repeal of some of the
measures. while they well protected the
pcoplp from more serious evils than
they would have the country know.
"The Lever food control act has
proved to be one of the most effective
agencies in preventing depredations at
the expense of the people than almost
any other measure now in operation.
Time for repeating it is not yet.
"Republicnns chorused ponderous
note of protest against the administra
ton enforcement of the espionage act
and some other measures that were of
vital necessity Turing the war. yet |
defy the Republicans to prove that the
power given the government during the
war has ever been unjustly used against
thn tbnf a ctnula pitiznn hao hOpn
unwarruntably punished for any act of
aggression or disoyaltE against the ma
ton: that any man has been punished
for expressing his opinion. l have read
charges to tho contrary. but in each
instance ] have had the matter thor
oughly looked into and am in position to
contest the accuracy of any statement
that the rights of single citizen have
been unjusty invaded.
THE United States Senate has for
eleven months had in its hands the power
to end conditions that are Enthusiastically
irksome to a great many of our citizens.
because with the ratification OF the peace
treaty the operation of laws that were
enacted to safeguard the interests Of the
country in the war would automatically
cease.
''As long as these laws are on the
statute books they must be enforced.
They have been and are being enforced
with as little injury to the welfare of
the country and rights of individuals
as possible. | don't know that | would
even care to defend any policy that
have GcCmed essential to the fullest pro-
lection of the national interest. That
would be too much like Offering an apol-
ogy here one is not needed. l do
not believe that my course calls for an
apology of any kind.
THE Republican and not the Dem
ocratic policy has been responsible for
any bad effects that have resulted from
the failure of the Republican Senate to
ratify the Versailles treaty and the
covenant of the League of Nations. The
Republican policy Of negotiation has
been persisted in for the sole purpose
of advancing Republican chances for
winning the coming presidential cleo
tion and has never reflected a sincere
desire to nmeliorate the effect of meas
urcS adopted for protecting the country
in time of war. The Republican policy
has been rather to eXaggerate the effect
OF these measures.
Silent on Candidates
The President declined to discuss
candidates for the Democratic presidcn !
tial nomination.
II have the greatest faith he said. I
i'm the intelligent appreciation by the I
delegates who will assemble at San
Francisco two weeks hence to write the
platform and nominate the standard
bearers of our party. They will, have
before them the Republican platform
and will have estimated the effect of il
on the people generally. They will have
from whom to select candidates for the
presidential and vice presidential nomi |
nations a number Of excellent men. ] |
should not want to express any prefer !
ence or opinion regarding either indi-
viduals or platform expression which .
might influence the minds of the mon |
whose votes will ultimately decide both. /.
Il hope and believe that the plat
form to be adopted at San Francisco
will be more progressive and clearer in .
understanding than that CnunCiated by /
the Republicans at Chicago. The char |
aCter Of the men who will sit as dele
gates in the San Francisco convention
should be sufficient guarantee that the
issues upon which the campaign is to be /
fought will br met with definite and
statements and not cloudy and |
terms as was the case in /
the Chicago convention.
II have not raised my hand or
voice" the President continued. Ito
aid in the promotion of any ambition
for the Democratic presidential nomi-
nation and ! shall not do so. ! think
that the leaders Of the party and the
delegates who will sit in the San Fran
cisco convention will earnestly try to
provide n platform and candidates that
will attract greater support than those
put forward by the Chicago convention.
Appeal TO Delegates
81 am also confident that the Demo
cratic leaders and delegates will hold
the fullest appreciation of their obliga
tions to the party and to the people. II
is unthinkable that any Democrats
should for an instant be influenced by
the selfish and sinister motives that lie
back of the Republican plan to stultify
and diScrpdit the United States in the
eyes Of the world.
II do not believe that they will per-
NIT themselves to be led astray in order
to crafty the. vanity or promote the
uncharjtable or selfish impulses of any
individual
1.-THE Republican convention" he
added, was the apothcosis of reaction.
1T was the direct antithcsis of what /
hope the Democratic convention at San
Fran"i>co will turn out to be. The
leaders who call themselves progressive
and who pretend to speak for the pro-
grcSSive element in the Republican