The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-12
THE CONVENTION. KEYNoTEs

THE CONVENTION. KEYNOTES
 There, were in reality two keynote deliveries at Cleveland Tuesday. One was the Republican effort by MT. Bur ton of Ohio, and the other was the read ing of the LaFollette resolutions by Gov ernor Blaine of Wisconsin. As might have been expected, there were extreme: of conservatism in the one and of rad realism in the other which could hardly be reconeiled within the limits of one party. The LaFollette group is by no means making it easy for the Repub- licans to allow sufficient concessions to the Progressives to prevent third-party split. The Progressives have chip on glint in the eye which presages grow ing inclination to knock that chip off. It really would be psychologically better for the Republicans to knock off the chip, for the Progressives are going into conclave on July that will probably result in the same action as if the Re- publicans had stayed their hand. The Progressives mean to create trouble, be- cause that is their role.
 To be sure, there are some things in the LaFollette program which all can approve. But there are other things that cannot be approved. For example, there is the plank calling for government own ership of railroads and other utilities. This plank is entirely at variance with the other plank calling for tax reduc- ton. Government operation of utilities would mean annual deficiency appropria- tions, just as there are annual deficiency appropriations for all other government enterprises; Deficiency appropriations mean additional taxes, as sure as fate. The Progressive program shows how far it has departed from it's vaunted Roose- veltian standards when it calls for cur tailment of army and navy expenditures. Theodore Roosevelt would never have been guilty of such dangerous doctrine. Nobody wants war; but no intelligent person desires to see this country caught up into war against which it has no defense There is also the germ of dis aster in the, plank calling for a consti- tutional amendment giving congress the authority to override Judicial vetoes" on legislation. Congress can always correct laws so as to pass judicial scru- tiny and surely that is protection enough. The Burton program, on the other hand, contents itself with halcyon pie ture of president and congress work ing together in the utmost harmony, not for the welfare of the country, but, what is in the Burton view far more inn portant, for the welfare of the Repub- lican party. Although there are many platitudinous principles set forth, it is very apparent that the main purpose of MT. Burton is to bring about intending party supremacy. Indeed, to insure the yearned for-amity. between president and congress, perhaps MT. Burton would ap- prove of a new statute making it lese majeste to vote to override presiden- tial veto. A law like that would have prevented much presidential and party annoyance during the session of con- gress just closed. It would make the statute more effective if the president were given authority to. imprison party members who dare to vote contrary tC the executive or party program. There can be no practical politics where mem' bers of a. party are allowed to indulge theories of their own.
 The underlying plea of MT. Burton is for loyalty to Coolidge. Loyalty to coun- try is a good thing if it doesn't interfere with loyalty to party, but to think diff ferently from the party choice is the greater disloyalty. Congress is sharply rebuked in MT. Burton's address, and, being without authority or prestige in the convention, the senators present had to sit meekly and take it. The spectacle makes the observer involuntarily side with the senators, for they must have known that their actions would cut them off from presidential favor, no matter how sincerely such actions were conceived. This MT. Coolidge is an earnest man and he demands adherence to his doc trines. The New England conscience is an awful possession, for it .impels its victim not only to obey it's dictates, but also to impose them upon others.
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