Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 180, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1919 — HUGHES, TAFT AND ROOT. [ARTICLE]

HUGHES, TAFT AND ROOT.

To the dissident republican members of the senate, who have bee® ihlrw’lring the progress of consideration of the . peace,. treaty, the concord existing between the three lewdwg membera of the party should, mean something. Mar. Root, former senator, former secretary of war and former secretary of state; Mr. Taft, former secretary df war and former president, and Mr. Hughes, former justice of the supreme court and candidate for the presidency at tie last election, have expressed themselves as in favor of the ratification of the treaty, with exceptions or interpretative reservations, and in ■these reservations they are practically in agreement. The only differ-. ' ence of consequence is that Mr. ■ Root would dominate article 10, concerning the preservation of national integrity from the treaty, while Mr. Taft and Mr. Hughes would make such reservation as would prevent the United States from becoming involved in war without the consent of congress—which reservation would, of course, be in complete harmony with the requirements of the national constitution. There can be no question of the sincere patriotism of any of these three men, there can be no question of their party loyalty and there can be no question of their ability. No one can doubt that they are giving advice that they honestly believe will, if followed, be for the best interests of the United States. Nor is it surprising that ■they should reach practically the same conclusions. They are able lawyers and statesmen of broad views who have given much study to both national and international affairs; consequently when they study the same document with the same purpose in mind, a similarity of conclusions

was inevitable. The little senators who have had so much to say about so little —that is, who have expressed their own views, often narrow and superficial, in so many words —might well consider the position that they are getting themselves into. Their record of achievement is not impressive, and in some cases their attitude during the war was not exactly enthusiastically helpful. While they have, of course, a following of sort, they have not the confidence of the country. On the other hand, Messrs. Root, Taft and Hughes have unimpeachable records, both as to achievement and war attitude, and the people generally have the utmost confidence in them. Theh* views transcend mere party politics, Which has biased so many of the senators, and look to the ultimate welfare of the nation. If the little' republicans of the senate have real ■patriotism, or even if they are as good politicians as they think themselves, they will fall in after their leaders and finish the treaty job promptly.—lndianapolis News.