Evening star., 1924-04-03
Says Efforts to Hurt G. O. P.
Have DiSCredited Both
Major Parties.
MAKES KEYNOTE TALK
AT MAINE CONVENTION
Flags Legislative Inactivity as Due
to Minority Policy of
Partisanship.
BY the Associated Press.

by tie aSScclal'u frpss
PORTLAND, Me, April 3.-Senate
democrats, in endeavoring to infiict
injury upon the republican party,
have succeeded in discrediting both
of the great political parties, Senator
Pepper, republican, Pennsylvania, de-
clared in 4 Keynote" address here
today before the republican state con-
vention.
This discrediting process has reach
ed the poipk, Senator Pepper assert
ed, that IAN irresponsible and highly
dangerous third party has actually
suggested itself to the extremists as
a practical possibility" The demo-
Gratis, he addde, have aimed at US and
hit America"
II am here today" the senator stat
ed. ito affirm my belief that the DEM
ocratic party has recently forfeited
whatever claim to public confidence it
may have possessed. I am here to
register my conviction that upon us,
who call ourselves the followers of
Lincoln, rests the weighty RESPONSE
bility of strengthening and safe
guarding the republic.
Republicans of Maine, this is the
task to which I summon you-a task
which should stimulate the enthusi-
asm of every man and woman who
holds the republican tradition and is
ready to go forward to victory under
the leadership of Calvin Coolidge.
Says Judgment Confused.
But at this point an effort is GER
tain to be made by somebody to dis
tract attention from the great prob
lens which await solution and to
confuse judgment by giving to the
names of three officers in the great
republican army an Importance not
in the least justified by the facts.
when sensible people are waiting
to be told about President Coolidge's
position on public questions and what
the party is attempting to accomplish
for good government, somebody is
sure to shout, How about Forbes
How about Fall" and How about
Daugherty?' Thereupon we find our
selves showered with threats and ac-
cuSa tions in which a modicum of
truth is obscured by mass of fiction.
The appointment of Forbes as
head of the Veterans Bureau and of
Fall as Secretary of the Interior have
proved to be terrible mistakes, while
the selection of Mr.. Daugherty as
Attorney General seems to me to
have. been grave error of judgment.
Brands Heading Attackers.
when 1 say this I am speaking
of the mistakes not of the living but
Of the dead; of the mistakes of a
beloved leader whose virtues were
many and whose lapses were few
of a leader who left behind him a
long catalogue of notable achieve
ments and who gave life for you and
for me as truly as any soldier who
ever died in battle. When any man
for campaign purposes or to gain Il
partisan advantage undertakes to dis
turb the repose of that leader. brand
him as a political ghoul and declare
him to be unfit for the society of
decent people.
During the progress of these So
called Investigations many good cit
liens and wise editors have been
show the fighting spirit. Since we
have lacked actual Legislative con-
troll, this advice has amounted to
nothing more than an appeal for
brave talk. And brave talk without
" II eIeCIINe Is the sure
sign of shallow mind.
Would Admit Mistakes.
The time for talk that is really
brave is when you have a position
to defend which is fundamentally
sound though at the moment unpopu-
lar. When party mistakes have been
made it is best to admit them and to
limit your talk to the long list of re-
publican achievements in the past
and of republican plans for the fu-
Continued on Page 2, Column s.