Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1920 — REPUBLICAN SCORES HIS PARTY’S PEACE STAND [ARTICLE]

REPUBLICAN SCORES HIS PARTY’S PEACE STAND

Will H. Craig of Noblesvlfle Charges Old Guard Leaders With Distorting Facts. Noblesvdlle, Aug. 25. —Will H. Craig of this city, formerly editor of the Ledger and for several campaigns publicity manager for the Republican state committee, in a letter to the Indianapolis. News and Star accuses the Republican campaign managers of attempting to “poison the minds of the people by false statements.” Mr. Craig is widely known through the state and while his statement came as a distinct surprise to his fellow party workers, it is reported that he expressed the views entertained by scores of Republicans, who are incensed over the attempt to distort fact® relative to the league of nations. “If the Republican party wins in November I hope It will do so by a campaign of truth and. fairness,” said. Mr. Craig. "It is generally agreed that the peace treaty and league covenant will be the 'paramount issues’ in this campaign, much to the regret of a majority of the American people, who desired Its ratification and elimination from politics. The causes of humanity and world peace are greater than any question of a domestic nature or of holding political jobs—the main object of the ‘patriots’ now directing or misdirecting political affairs. Both

the president and senate are to blame for the fiasco, but I believe 'the senate the chief sinner'. “The senate charged Mr. Wilson with defeating the treaty by insisting on its ratification without the dotting of an i or the crossing of a t. That is not true. The president insisted that only ‘nullifying’ reservations should be cut out, but did no + object to ‘interpretative’ reservations. He did 1104 ob J«ct to the Taft reservations, which vne Pemg-. cratic senators agreed to vote for, and which the Republican senators turned down. The fact is that Lodge and his ‘packed’ committed on foreign relations have from the beginning been against the treaty and covenant. The stand of the Republcan party now proves It. The surrender of the party to Borah and Johnson at Chicago and the acceptance speech df Senator Harding make Capitulation to the enemy of the treaty Complete. The sad thing about it is that It is all politics.

“Lodge once said, that he was not against the treaty but against Wilson. High Winded Senator Lodge also said thht to make ft treaty with Germany would disgrace and dishonor our country. Now candidate Warding says that It is his policy /and Lodge, Johnson and the other arreconcdlables say The political game has two sides'

like a game of ball and the result is not known until the end of the ninth inning. This politicah. meas has put Uncle Sam among strange bedfellows —Germany, Mexico, Turkey, China, etc. Forty other leading nations of the world are In the league. W® sent General Perstyng to France with 2,600,000 American boys to fight the Huns, not only to end this cruel war, but to prevent future wars. - Nobly did they do the first "half of the Job. The other half is now blocked by the enemies of peace and humanity in this country. "General Perabing, when in France approached the grave of the great friend of America and said, ‘Lafayette, we are here.’ It would be appropriate to send Lodge, Johnson and Harding to France and with bowed heads and shamed faces let them approach the grave of the great Frenchman and say, ‘Lafayette, we have quit.’ "But I sadd in the beginning I hope the Republican party will stick to the truth and not try to poison the minds of the people by false statements. “I heard Senator New at Turkey Run and read the speech of an Irish orator at Turner park Sunday. Both stated that England had six vote * in the council of the league of nations to one for the United States. This is not true. There are only nine votes in this council. England has one and the United States one. "However, the assembly has as many votes as there are member nations in the league—some 40. In this assembly members of the British empire have votes, such as Canada, India, etc. So has Cuba, Panama and other .dependencies of the United States. If Cuba is allowed a vote in the assembly should not Canada. And if Panama, why not India? The assembly has no vote in the final analysis of world questions, but is of an advisory character. All final votes are left to tie council where nine leading nations have one vote each.

"Another ‘bogy’ that is worked to the limit is the howl about sending our boys abroad to fight in foreign wars. Now how could the league ‘force us’ to do this when it is provided that all action of the council to be binding must be by unanimous vote, including, of course, the vote of the United States. And further, no war can be declared by the government without the act of congress. That is proved by our constitution, which is above and superior to all laws or treaties. “In fact, all the arguments of the enemies of the league fall to the ground if put to the test of fact and law. The fellows that ar e now , ' ry ' ing out the loudest against sending the boys to war were the first to vote to get In the world war and have been trying their best to force us into war with M exico. "At the close of our state primaiy campaign it was feared that Hiram Johnson, the radical, sandlot orator from California, 4 would carry a plurality of votes in Indiana. “There was a revulsion of feeling at such a thought among the patriotic, conservative people of the state. Both the News and the Star warned the voters against such a calamity. The Star up to that time had ‘played up’ no candidate but had treated all fairly. But the Star, seeing danger ahead, joined the News in urging the people of the state to vote for General Wood to beat the radical Johnson. “Thousands of Republicans followed this advice, deserted thedr first choice, Lowden or Harding, and voted for Wood. What does it avail the patriotic, conservative people of Indiana to beat Johnson in an Indiana state primary if this same Johnson can dictate the platform of the national convention and shape the policy of its presidential candidate? 1

“That is what the conservative Republicans are thinking about right now. Many of them were ‘all dressed up’ for the political feasts awaiting them after the mistakes of the present administration, but now hardly know where to go. "To add fuel to yie flame, now comes William Randolph Hearst, knight of the yellow sheet, and casts his hat in the ring as supporter of the g. o. p. candidate. Senator Harding must have had the nightmare when this was announced. “Hearst has been a menace to the country for years with his string of yellow papers. To think that the party, of Lincoln, McKinley, Harrison and Roosevelt must bear the burden of this erstwhile Democratic terror is something frightful. Can the party slough off this heavy load before it is too late We hope it mlay.”