PREPAREDNESS.
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gain, they say that we were not preparedfor war. In a strict military sense, a democracyis never prepared for war; but America made 16 ready in a way that was far more effective thanby maintaining, at enormous cost, great arma-ments, which neither party ever advocated andwhich our people would never approve. Wars are not fought by armies alone. Theyare fought by nations. It is a measuring of theeconomic strength of nations. The front linetrench is no stronger than the forces which liebehind the trench. The line of communicationreaches back to every village, farm, countinghouse, factory and home. America prepared bymaking the economic life of the country sound. What would have been our situation, if, priorto the outbreak of the war, we had not preparedso that our farmers were able to feed the armies ofthe world? What would have been our situation iflabor had not been willing to follow the leader-ship of the President? What would have beenthe situation if we had not established a currencysystem which made it possible for us to financethe war? What would have been the situationif the Republican Party had been in control andhad maintained its old attitude toward legisla-tion? ‘There would have been an inevitablebreaking down of the economic structure of ourcountry. We would have been caught in thethroes of a panic more devastating than any we 17 ——————————————————SS had ever known: Industrial life would have beendisorganized and the tasks of war, difficult asthey were, might then have become altogetherimpossible. (Applause) THE REPUBLICAN ReEcorpD SINCE 1918. The Republicans have now been in control ofthe Senate and the House for more than a year.They won the election of 1918 upon the faith ofalluring promises. ‘They said that they wouldearnestly suppoft the President, at least, untilthe tasks of war were finished. It was their con-tention that they would enter upon the work ofreconstruction with superior intelligence andeven with greater patriotism than would be pos-sible under Democratic leadership. They gavepublicity, when they entered upon the recent ses-sion, to detailed and ambitious statements as totheir program. If we are to be judged, as Ihope we may be, by the record, let them also bejudged by the record. (Applause) What havethe Republicans accomplished since their polit-ical success in 1918? What beneficial resultshave flowed to the American people? Whatpromises have been redeemed? What progresshas been made in the settlement of foreign ordomestic questions? (Applause) 18 Twice the President went before Congress,since the termination of hostilities, calling atten-tion to needed legislation. He urged the passageof laws relating to profiteermg; measures tosimplify and reduce taxation; appropriate actionrelative to the returning soldiers; the passage ofa resolution concerning the constructive plansworked out in detail by former Secretary Lane,and the measures advocated by the Secretary ofAgriculture. He suggested that the Congresstake counsel together and provide legislationwith reference to industrial unrest, and the mutualrelations of capital and labor. After more thana year of sterile debate, our country has neitherpeace nor reconstruction. (Applause) Barrenof achievement, shameless in waste of time andmoney, the record of the present Congress iswithout parallel for its incompetencies, failuresand repudiations. Are the American people sounjust or so lacking in discrimination that theywill reject the service of a party which has keptits word, and place trust in a party which merelyrenews the broken promises of a previous cam-paign! (Applause)
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