The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-25
KEYNOTE SPEECH BITTERLY ASSAILS f. 0. ?. SCANDALS Cleveland Conclave Most Boss-Ridden In History
 He Says PROMISES RETURN
 TO HIGH COURSE' Democrats Not To Have Puppets Nor Pets To
 Protect

+ the White House, to call It Dack- to duty and high resolve, Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi declared to- day in sounding the keynote at the democratic national convention.
 In an address condemning the republican administration-its poli- cies, both domestic and foreign the temporary, chairman called on , democrats everywhere, with vic tory within their grasp" to unite against common enemy.
 "Oh, for one in the White House" he said, "whose heart might be melted and courage aroused to sympathize and fight. Would that we once more might see in that exalted position one with the courage of a Jackson, the militant honesty of Cleveland, the matchless statesmanship and the fine fighting qualities of a Wood row Wilson,"
 Reviews Disclosures
 Senator Harrison ran the gamut of the Harding Coolidge administration in . series of biting criticisms. A large part of his speech was taken up, with resume of the disclosures of Senate investigating committees. The oil po- licies in particular came in for vigorous denunciation.
 America has taken ,4he measure of this administration" Jhe continued. It might have been abls to free itself from the sectional idolAtory and to have looked beyond khe skies of New Eng land. It might have heard the groans of the distressed farmers of the west w1aAk AkAks r. might have sought markets and removed the tariff jams in the channels through which our surplus products move. It might have visualized world conditions apR courageously assumed the part befitting a great nation. It might have feduced living costs, redeemed pledges to the soldier, followed a definite domestic program, and adopted a broad and statesmanlike foreign policy, but, even then, it would have availed it nothing with it's carnival of corrup- tiop.
 Expect Honesty
 ''The least that the American people expect of their public servants is com mon honesty. They will forgive their passivity, overlook their indiscretions, and. too often, forget their impotency, but to them corruption is inexcusable, graft is 1ndefensible.
 Comparing the investigations into democratic and republican administra- tions Senator Harrison said it was mot graft alone that offers in the two administrations such happy com parisons."
 During these little more than three years" he said, i've have seen the present administration float along, tossed by every current famed by ev- cry breeze, without purpose, program or policy. Upon a thousand issues they have hoisted the white flag of surren- der.".
 Commenting President Harding for his proposal that America ahere to the world court Senator Harrison said that President Coolidge had pledged himself to carry out Mir. Hard ings policies and that yet from the day he assumed office he had made "only a bow" in that direction.
 Not To Have Pets
 Senator Harrison declared that if returned to control of the government the Democratic party would have neither pets nor puppets to protect or corrupt cabinet members to coodle."
 ''We will rigidly enforce the law" he said, whether the violator be a bloated trust magnate, a congressional bride taker, and embezzler of the pub lie domain, or a disreputable bootleg ger"
 we will read just tariff rates and reduce transportation charges.
 we will lay bare campaign bribery and punish election frauds.
 ''We will go to the relief of dis tressed agriculture and adopt such po- 4.ssA permanently the purchasing power of the farmers dollar.
 "We will adopt progressive reclam- ation policy.
 We will pursue; the same high course that has ever inspired the lead CTS of democracy, unterrified by. those who threatened to destroy, unmoved by those who seek seIfishly to control
 Senator Harrison's speech follows in full:
 Chairman Hull, ladies. and gentle men, AS years ago in the city of St. Louis the host of democracy met in convention to dedicate themselves to purging corruption from the public service. We meet today for rededi- cation of the same purpose. There was corruption then; there is Santurna- ha of corruption now. There were dis graced public officials then, repudiated by their party and under arrest but today Fall goes unmolestOd on his ranch in New Mexico; Daugherty sat with presidential approval in the con- vention at Cleveland, and Daugherty's attorney was chairman of the commit tee created to oil the steam roller of the worst boss-ridden convention of a generation. It was in that convention in 1876 that democracy turned to that superb and matchless leader, Samuel J. Tilden, to bring the government back to honesty and carry the party to vic tory. It is particularly appropriate that 1 read to you one plank of the democratic platform of that year, writ ten by that great New Yorker @'' "When the annals of this republic show the disgrace and censure of a vice president; late speaker of the House of Representatives marketing his rulings as a presiding officer; three senators profiting secretly by their votes as lawmakers; five chairmen of the leading committees of the late House of Representatives exposed in :jobbery a late Secretary of the Treas ury forcing balances in the public ac- counts; a late Attorney General mis- appropriating public funds; a Secre- tary of the Navy enriched or enrich ing friends by percentages levied off the profits of contractors; an ambas- sador to England censured in a dis honorable speculation the President s private secretary barely escaping con viction upon trial for guilty complicity in frauds upon the revenue; a Secre- tary of War impeached for high crimes and nisdemeanors-the demonstration fn nornnIete that the first sten in reform