Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-10-05
MORE BACKBONE NEEDED

In all the great moral issues that are raised
in politics til Republican party always assumes
the attitude Of wanting to be good and stand
Cor what the best element in every community
knows to be right. but is afraid to come out
openly and say so. These are days when the
moral issues play an important part in every
campaign. The Republicans lose much Of their
strength by attempting to s~traddle; they find
themselves on the defensive from the outset.
1t was this straddling process that did so
much to help defeat Newton A. X. Bugbee for
governor two years ago. 1t is the attempt to
straddle o' the foreign policy of the nation that
is giving the Republicans in congress so much
trouble at the present time. 1t is next TO i'm
possible to know just where the Republicans
do stand on any prominent issue before the
public today.
The only issue that they have been clear on
has been their opposition to Woodrow Wilson.
AS long as he was in the White House the Re-
publicans had a rallying cry, Anything to beat
Wilson," and they were able to stand together.
But now that Wilson has been eliminated the
Republicans seem all at sea.
AS a matter of fact, many of Mr.. Wilson's pol
icies were formerly Republican policies. but
simply because they were espoused by Mr.. Will
son Republican leaders utterly repudiated them.
Having advocated a destructive policy so long
the Republicans seem to lack anything con-
structive now that they have destroyed all that
stood in their way. And If there ever was a
time when something really constructive was
needed it is right now in the present state of
the world.
This same tendency of wanting to do what
one's conscience says is right, but being afraid
to take such a stand is to be found in the Re-
publican platform adopted at Trenton yesterday.
Prohibition is a great moral issue and there
isn't any doubt that a majority of the best peo-
pie in every community are for it. The Repuo-
ucan party would like to be known as the party
of the best people-the people of the greatest
brains and intelligence, the upholders of the
highest moral standards. But when it comes to
a definite stand, four-square for or against the
issue. the party leaders hesitate and falter. They
nv TO pussy-foot; they hedge. Almost anybody
has more respect for an out and out opponent
than for one who tries to be both for and
against.
Last winter the Republican party placed on
the statute books of New Jersey the Van Ness
act, passed over the governors veto, which pro-
vides drastic measures for enforcing the prohi-
ton amendment 10 tHe 4euSia4
Yesterdays Republican convention acted as IL II
was almost afraid of its own child; it would
ike to disown it if it could.
This is no way to win the confidence Oh the
voters. Either the Republican party should
stand firmly behind its own legislation or II
should admit that it is faulty and pledge ITSELF
T. remedy the defects-as humiliating as such a
stand might be. It. at least, would be a STAND
and not a wobble.
1t is just as impossible for a Republican 10
serve God and mammon as it is for anyone else'
The whole party from the President and con-
gress down needs a general stifening OF the
backbone that it may be able to stand for some
thing definite. and having done all, to stand.