Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 84, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1920 — TAGGART’S VIEWS ON TREATY [ARTICLE]

TAGGART’S VIEWS ON TREATY

FRENCH LICK STATESMAN DOES NOT STAND WITH PRESIDENT ON ART. X. ( Washington, April 6.—Thomas Taggart’s nomination for the senatorship precludes the possibility of the league of nations becoming much of a campaign issue so far •as Indiana is concerned, for Mr. Taggart’s views are Jcnown to be very much the same as those of Senators Watson and New and quite contrary to those of Senator Hitchcock and President Wilson. Mr. Taggart is a Democrat who usually “goes along” but as an American citizen he believes with Senator Watson, who will be his Republican opponent, that the treaty should be ratified only with the Americanizing reservations. He would hot swallow article ten without safeguarding reservations. He sees nothing especially wrong with the Lodge reservations. Mr. Taggart also is known to have the same views as Senator Watson on the recent railroad legislation that was enacted. Samuel F. Foster, who was turned down for the Democratic senatorial nomination after he had been solicited to take it, would have declared in favor of the treaty .without reservations. This may have been an'influence in the Democratic state committee turning to Taggart, even after he had once declined nomination, for the Democratic leaders of Indiana understand as well as anyone that sentiment in Indiana favors reservations. Mr. Taggart, of course, enters the campaign with a full realization that he can’t possibly win over Senator Watson, but he is a good loser. He is known to have confided to friends between the time he first declined nomination and last Saturday’s meeting of the state committee that Senator Watson, in his belief, never was so strong with the people as today and that no Democrat could hope to win over him this year. It is expected that the Taggart Democrats will make a fight in the Democratic state convention either to make no reference to the league question or to declare for reservatiops. To declare for reservations in the Democratic state platform would automatically take the treaty question out of the, campaign for there could be no treaty issue when both Mr. Taggart and Senator Watson believe in the same thing. I Mr. Taggart, responding to the call from “the boys,” said that he ■ would accept the nomination and! “do the best I can.” Which meant' that he hasn’t much hope for Dem-1 ocratic victory this year, but that he will do what he can to overcome the tide of public sentiment in fa- ; vor of Republican success. When he first declined nomination Mr. -Taggart said that his ; health would not permit him to, make a vigorous campaign. His | name will go on the ballot, but he will not risk another break in health by campaigning over the state.