The Washington times., 1924-08-12
DAVIS IN SPEECH OF ACCEPTANCE, ASSATLS G. O. ?

What shall we say when q
statement comes from one who
Of all men should have been most
deeply stirred that the wonder is
not that so many have. fallen but
that so few have been shown an
true? With what patience shall
we greet the libelous suggestion
that, after all. these are but Incl
dents provoked by the demoraliza-
ton attendant upon the great
war?
Is memory then so short that
we no longer recall the heroic
days of 1917 and 1918, when
America rose to heights Of moral
grandeur unsurpassed, when
meeting place was temple and
every house a shrine? Shall we
forget that no faint Of dishon.
esty or corruption has ever at.
tached to any man who held
public office. during that great
struggle or to any man who con-
tinued to hold office under the
Federal Government until March
4, 1921? Shell shock was late
indeed in arriving IL it is to be
put forward now as the excuse
for these gross nisdeeds.
Attack on Tariff.
i charge the Republican party
with this corruption in office.
/ charge 1t also with favoritism
in legislation. ] do more, I
charge 1t with that grossest form
of favoritism which gives to
him who hath, and takes away
from him who hath not.
To pervert high office to per-
tested by all honest men,. but
to use the power of legisla-
ton purposely to enrich one
man or set OF men at the ex-
pense of others is robbery on
larger scale, though done
under the forms of law. in
the pasasage of the Fordney.Mc-
Cumber tariff act, imposing the
highest rates and duties in the
tariff history of the Nation,
there was an unblushing return
to the evil days of reward
ing party support and political
contributions with legislative IA
vors.
In the language of one Of
the advocates of. that measure:
IF we take care Of the pro.
ducerS, the consumers can take
care of themselves.
For every dollar that this
statute has drawn into the
Treasury of the United States
pocket Of the consumer into
the pockets of the favored few.
Although the. Republican plat
form adopted at Cleveland holds
out to the taxpayers the elusive
promise of relief to those who
are daily paying their taxes
through their living expenses"
as indeed they are, it nowhere
offers any promise of a re-
duction in tariff duties, but
lauds the existing bill as the
summit of human wisdom.
Is there not something of
humor as well as honesty lack
ing in those who in one and
the same breath can promise
a reduction of the cost of liv-
ing and praise a statute which
raises the price of the ele-
mental necessariees of life; who
can demand, as they should,
the payment, of our foreign
debts but refuse to accept from
the debtor the goods in which
alone payment can be made;
who clamor for an American
merchant marine, hut deny IL
the cargoes necessary for its
existence? =
Mellon Tax Bill.
When reduction in the burden
Of income taxes could no longer
be denied, the country was pre-
sented with the Mellon bill, Of
fered by the Administration to
the people as the last word on
that subject. When it met the
test of impartial analysis here,
too, there appeared the motive
to favor the few possessors of
swollen incomes beyond the many
Of moderate means.
Under Democratic initiative and
Democratic guidance a bill was
passed Elm its stead, so changing
the weight and emphasis of the
proposed reduction as to give the
greater relief to those whose tax
payments pressed upon their scale
Of living. Although the Executive
approval Of this bill received was
grudging and reluctant, not even
the submissive convention at
Cleveland dared to suggest that
the Mellon BILL be revived and
adopted as a substitute.
We assert in our platform that
the Republican party believes
that national prosperity must
originate with the special inter-
ests and seep down through the
channels Of trade to the less
favored industries, to the wage
earners and small salaried en-
ployes. 1t has accordingly en-
throned privilege and nurtured
selfishness." / repeat the words
and l register the emphatic dis
sent Of the Democratic party from
that doctrine.
charge the Republican party
with corruption in administration:
with favoritism to privileged class
es in legislation. charge 1t also
with division in council and impo-
tence in action. No political party
has the right to hold the reins Of
government unless it can exhibit
the cardinal virtues of honesty,
sincerity and unity. OF these the
last is by no means the least i'm
portant.
No matter how lofty the ideals
or how pure the purposes Of any
party, the country Is not served
unless 1t possesses both the viii
and the power to carry these
ideals and purposes into effect.
When 1t becomes a leaderless and
incoherent mob 1t must give way
70 some rival better fitted for the
task of government.
DiscOrd and Division.
Need / dwell on the picture
a. y.~A AxrraIv1n v,AAVfh0 VxVen-