Part 1 (1/2)

The Progressive Democracy of James M cox

by Charles E Morris

CHAPTER I

THE NEED FOR A DOER

There coetful hearer, but a doer of the work” Such a ti in history, has been concluded Its ht by its masterand wrongly willful But the fruits of victory are ungathered and the beneficence of peace is not yet attained The call arises for a ”doer of the work”

Two great political parties in the United States, both with splendid accorave mistakes as well, have attempted to respond to this call, and America, whose proudest boast is that it has always found a reat occasion, chooses between them It is a solemn and serious hour For it has been Areat teachers and leaders and doers have been found at just the proper tiht decision of our country is, wewith the persistency of a fixed idea, a part of the heritage of the nation, scarcely needing to be taught in the schools, obvious even to the casual student froloith the stories of the appearance of _the_ ht of a friendly destiny seeiven so often either the inspired teacher of the word or the doer of the work that there is more than a faith and a hope, nay alonized appeal of the world beckons Ah mission to humanity upon which she eht on the scales in war

Those who insist that the fulfill the solemn promises ue of Nations to end war, to see that retribution becoain on their forward journey, present as their leader James Monroe cox, Governor of Ohio

A party of traditions, a party that has directed in every critical period save one since the Republic began, has said that he meets the requirements of the ti, because there was an inner conviction that he could enter upon a still larger field with a growing, an ever-expanding capacity

This, too, furnishes a fitter chapter in the history of country and party For the wise selection of men, even obscure th America had her Tho truth of her Revolution The equality of rights and duties spread from a dream of philosophers to be the doctrine of warriors for freedoether the tenuous bands of freedom She found her James Monroe to lay the foundations of the doctrine that stern hts of the nations She brought forth her Andrew Jackson to make the country in his time safe for dele money baron, nor yet any collection of them, is superior to the power of all the people

In later tienerations but little beneath the Savior of er duties She had in this day her Woodrow Wilson, builder of the newer policy of world union and recognized spokesle with military autocracy It is of history that Lincoln and Wilson both were stricken doith their work incomplete

After Lincoln there was no doer of the work to finish his task and the evil of those who perverted the exalted purpose of the Civil War continues even unto this day

Co into the arena of national affairs when even America seems to doubt and when the selfish motive of fear threatens to palsy the nation's hand, Governor cox becaiven before all the world His introduction to the conscience and intellect of the country was a deht of war, the League of Nations has long been a supreme issue with Governor cox and he was chosen to carry the standard because he had expressed the sentireatest emphasis

Doers have ever been practical men, and such is Governor cox

But practicality need not, and does not, i as ideality in vision and a practical hand to ood the picture of the mind The combined qualities are considered as essentials to the adequate man of the tiift of the century, but theskill to

History--political history--was changed profoundly when President Woodrow Wilson was stricken Men were slow in rallying to his cause, there were even clouds of doubt, o, when the party he led to two victories prepared in the late June and the early July days of the year 1920 to state its position, its hope and its aspirations

In the state in which Governor cox held leadershi+p there was no doubt His own Ohio knew long ago that at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco its chosen spokesmen would communicate but two mandates on behalf of the vast majority of the people One was that Ohio could do no less than be faithful to its greatest executive and the other was that the nation's faith and honor h Governor cox that th and breadth of the land As seen by hian with the first plea to the world powers for such a concert as would banish the continual threat of war This plea was an in 1914 and it was renewed at each favorable opportunity during the years when Aht to an end before the last great neutral poas drawn into it Heeded by the Allies, the voice of reason was rejected by the Central E the earnest lovers of peace that only the imposition of peace would furnish a new basis for world concord

Fewand vexatious delays in the United States Senate ended at last in the recalcitrant refusal of the masters of the majority to ratify the Treaty of Versailles It is but a fair and truthful statement of the mind of the people told him that the party which went before the country to vindicate the sacrifices of theissue, he had no wish for such partisan advantage As a Deht only fair co any honest settleue

In his address of acceptance, then, Governor cox stepped to the fore with the tersest of utterances as to his position on the League, co in”

If this question is not answered now and affirmatively, Governor cox believes that there may be delay until nations once more have borne their crosses on Calvary and until further blood and treasure are wasted And so he says now: ”I favor going in”