Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1919 — WELL, SEE WHO’S HERE! [ARTICLE]

WELL, SEE WHO’S HERE!

The following editorial in Tuesday evening’s Indianapolis News would indicate that the News has at last seen the way the wind was blowing and is hastening to get on the band wagon. After backing up Senator Lodge and other Republican obstructionists for several weeks it has seen the suicidal policy of its party following longer with this bunch of partisan zealots, and now comes out and shows them the handwriting on the wall which both they and the News has so long failed to heed. It would indeed be well for other obstructionists to heed these words pf warning: “THE TREATY BLOCKADE “The country will find it hard to tolerate the blocking of progress in the consideration of the peace

treaty by a few egotistic senators who would rule or ruin—or rule and ruin. Perhaps It would be better for the rest of the senators to proceed with the work that Is before them, and leave the last ditchers to flock by themselves, and, if they wish, to. start the new and exclusive party that has been threatened by Mr. Borah. These men can not kill the treaty, and (t Is useless to waste time on them, because the country has decided, and made its decision definitely known, that the treaty shall not be killed. In this connection It may be said that plans to strike out any part of the treaty may as well be abandoned, as such action would necessitate the return of the agreement *to the peace conferees for further consideration, and result In months of further delay. Senator Lodge is in a rather difficult position, resulting principally from his own political Indiscretions, and he can not remedy It by radical action in opposition to popular sentiment. “The country wants the treaty ratified, and promptly, but It Is equally insistent that any doubtful points in it shall be guarded by effective exceptions. There are precedents so well established for such action that if it is judiciously taken it will serve the purpose for which it is Intended without invalidating the treaty as written, or delaying the formal declaration of peace with all that means in the way of restoring the world to normal conditions. “Negotiations for a compromise between the Republican and Democratic leaders are making slow progress, apparently because of the stubbornness of the half a dozen senators who are against a treaty of any kind. If these recalcitrants were out of the way a judiciously prompt ratification of the treaty with exceptions could in all probability be achieved. In such a case, the only thing to do is to put the last ditchers out of the way. They are making no progress In their campaign. One body after another has refused to hear Senator Reed speak against the treaty In the south, and the action of organizations all over the country is gen-

erally in favor of the ratification. The situation has reached a point where all that Is required is common sense directed by a tolerant reasonableness on both sides to reach the result that the country has been definitely looking forward to ever since the 11th of last Nr vember.’’