The Washington times., 1922-04-02

ally unable to cast any but Demo
cratic ballots. There are many
such.
FRUIT OF ELECTION.
However, let us assume that this
was the issue, that Harding got his
seven million plurality because that
many people in excess of the Cox
supporters felt that the United
States Is sufficient unto herself,
that 1t Is our destiny to go on in
splendid isolation, apart from the
embroilments of Europe and de-
tached from the affairs of the rest
of the world, and so voted. If that
is so, a plurality of seven million
would seem to be a reasonably
clear, ringing and definite instruc-
ton to Mr.. Harding and his party,
an edict to keep out and keep off.
Yet, before he had been in office
for six months we find President
Harding not only participating In
foreign affairs but taking the ini-
tiative in so doing.
We further find. at the begin
ming of this participation, and we
had heard from high authority pre-
viously. that Notwithstanding the
immense aversion Of the people OF
the United States to the League Of
Nations as such. and as shown in
the 1920 election, there might be
virtue I'm an association of nations,
according to American plans and
specifications, with the United
States cordially associating.
There was Harding talk or sug.
sestion Of this, and Republican
4. L.
tween the calling OF the Washing
ton conference and the convcning
of It. The Washington conference
Is over now, and we find that so
far from anything even remotely
resembling an association Of ma
tions coming out of IT, rival Of
the league, or a substitute for 1t,
the best opinion is that the work
of the Washington conference will,
I'm great measure, strengthen the
Leagu. Of Nations. In any event,
II will neither weaken nor sup
plant that body.
REMNANTS OF GREAT
PARTIES.
Admitting that the idea of an
association of nations did not. get
to be q purpose Of the Washington
conference, whatever the advance
talk NAV have been, the fact that
the finished. work of the confer
ence has this undeniable relation
to the League of Nations, and that
the conference was the handi-
work of President Harding as a
ReDublican, and of Secretary
Hughes as a Republican, then one
Of two things is certain: Either
President Harding and his party
played false to the people who put
them In power on the platform
of no entangling alliances, or the
people did not put them in power
for any such reason or on any
such understanding.
The latter statement is the fact
Of 1t. The Republican party came
back to power In the election OF
1920 because of a bitter non-par-
tisan. nationwide protest against
existing taxation, and the Repub-
lican party. will 60 out Of power
for the same reason. There was
a certain alignment of political
units against the Democrats, sucn
as the German vote and similar
influences. but the rock-botton,
basic, actual reason for the over
whelming election Of Harding was
taxes. The Republicans didn't elect
Harding, The people elected Hard
ing, Republican. There was
nothing party or partisan about 1t
save the party label Harding wore.
II was taxes-no more and no less.
PROFESSIONAL SHORTS.
The professional Republicans be-
gan to shout on November 3, 1920,
and have been shouting ever since
that the election was great Re
publican victory, but by no process
of political logic or analysis can
they make that claim more than
shout. 1t is mere noise. The cleo
ton cannot be classed as a politi-
cal event. II was an economic re-
action. Further, the 1000, 900
plurality of Harding proves the
statement made at the beginning
Of this article, that the Republican
party is dead as a great political
force in this country 1t has ceased
to be an institution and Is now
merely an instrument. 1t did not
have the vitality to elect a Presi-
dent OF its own numbers, and be.
came merely a medium for the
registration of what was upper.
most in the minds OF the people
a protest against taxation. II was
diluted beyond recognition in 1920,
but the work of condensation 10
under way.
Similarly, the event OF 1920