The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-06-05
Republicans Played i'm
Van Nays Keynote Speech

The Democratic party. after three
years Of Republican administration,
enters the national campaign with
greater confidence and more pride
than ever before in her history "
Frederick Van Mugs. keynote ora.
tor of The Democratic State conven-
ton, declared in his address before
the convention today.
The Republican party today is
practically leaderless, and by reason
of internal dissensions, is powerless
TO function" Van Mugs said. THE
recommendations of the President
are waived aside. His vetoes are
overridden. They eulogize him. but
they won't follow him.
The Republican party has gar.
nered an abundant harvest from the
campaign promises of 1920. and the
expenditure of vast sums of money
wholly out Of keeping with clean
politics"
Van Nuys said the United States =
losing its prestige among the ma
tons because three years have
passed without formulation Of a def.
mite foreign policy to take the place
Of the one the Republican toppled
over.
Blocs and Factions
An insane and vaciilating leader
ship in Congress has resulted in fail
ure to enact remedial legislation n
n q cg.f4 h.
party has broken up into blocs and
factions and has become a captious
and quarrelsome antagonist"
Van Mugs eulcgized the leadership
and ideaEstic vision Of the wa
President and recounted the achieve
ments in domestic legislation during
the period of Democratic rule
The Democrats put more remedial
legislation on the statute books in
eight years than the Republican
dreamed Of in forty" he asserted.
And while setting our House in
order. the Democratic Administra-
ton was called on to direct the win
ming Of the greatest war in history"
Taking up the Senate investigation
Of the oil scandal, Van Nuys said
the Democratic Senators who at
the expense Of their time and health
demonstrated the truthfulness Of
the charges deserve the gratitude Of
every good American citizen.
The country stood agast at the
revelations of malfeasance in office
upon the part of Cabinet officers and
those charged with the highest du-
ties and responsibilities Of the public
trust. Persons high in authority in
the Republican Administration in
Washington struck deeply into the
vitals Of American Government.
Watson Smoke Screen
Yet Senator Watson and all other
leaders of the Administration are
building back fires and setting up
smoke screens today to divert the
attention Of the American people
from the most nefarious conspiracy
against the Government since the
days of Benedict Arnold.
And then the Republican State
convention came along and adopted
a platitudinous platform. The con-
vention was simply a rubber stamp
upon the wishes of Senator Watson
and those two distinguished Demo-
Gratis from Georgia and Texas who
recently have functioned so success
fully in Indiana Republican politics.
when Senator Watson said the
unprecedented and culpable ex-
posures of the Harding Administra-
ton when compared to the Wilson
Administration as a summer breeze
to West Indian cyclone he in
suited the intelligence Of every read
ing and thinking man and woman in
Indiana"
Van Mugs said the Republicans
had instigated f1fty-one investiga-
tons and spent $4,000, 900 in an at
tempt to prove the most blatant
and unwarranted accusations against
the Wilson Administration. And yet
not one indictment against any pub.