Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1919 — FAIR WORDS, PARTISAN DEEDS [ARTICLE]

FAIR WORDS, PARTISAN DEEDS

Acting as partisans, though all the while disclaiming the motives and seeking to escape the odium of partisanship, Republican leaders in congress are opposing the league of nations and signaling to the members of their -party to join them in the fight. Their pretensions and disclaimers are as insincere as they are specious. Senator Lodge, speaking in the senate, announced that the ratification of covenant of the league “is not a partisan question, and never was,” but his actions, have been in constant contradiction of his professions. He fathered the “round robin” which was signed only by Republican senators. He called a conference of Republican senators at the beginning of the present session of congress to formulate a program of opposition to the league. He helped to pack the foreign relations committee, which is to consider the league, so 'that its

membership is preponderantly Republican. He collaborated with Senator Knox in the introduction of the latter’s resolution demanding separation of the covenant of the league from the treaty of peace. The backers of this demand in the foreign relations committee were all Republican reactionaries in the senate have shown by every sign and token that they are opposing the league with party animus, by partisan means and for partisan advantage. Mr. Lodge is the promoter and spokesman of this policy; which proves, in spite of all his disclaimers, that be and his reactionary followers would make the league a partisan battlecry. There are exceptions to this rule of Republican antagonism in the senate. Several senators of Mr. Lodge's party—but not of his fac-tion-—are supporting the league without ceasing at the same time to be Republicans.- Outside of the senate there are scores of thousands of Republicans who advocate the league and want all discussion .and consideration of it kept free from political and partisan bias. They cannot understand why Republican senators cannot be as free from partisanship as a former Republican president—Mr. Taft—has shown hlmsekf to be.

Chairman Hays is now endeavoring to convince the public that he and other official representatives of his party do not regard the league of nations as a partisan issue. His chief difficulty, however, will be to persuade Senators Lodge, j<nox and the other “robins’’ that no such unworthy use be made of it.