Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1920 — RENEWING A DISGRACE [ARTICLE]

RENEWING A DISGRACE

Six years ago a United States senator stood up in the chamber and lamented the fact that “the poeltion we held not very many years ago in the way of prestige and standing among the nations of the world has been lost or greatly Im- 1 paired.” This had come, about through our “disregarding international obligations.” Our country, .he

declared, was Incurring “distrust,” and was in danger of falling into “the attitude of an outlaw among nations.” The name of thia senator is Henry Cabot Lodge. What he was talking about was the violation by congress of our agreement by treaty to grant “equality" of treatment to all ships using the Panama danal. President Wilson was then using all his power to bring about the repeal of the law discriminating in favor of American vessels passing through the canal, and Senator Lodge was heartily supporting him and was doing it on the ground that the honor and good faith of the United States required us to Impose the same tolls upon American ships sailing through the canal that we levied on foreign bottoms. Yet

this same Senator Lodge presided last June over the Republican convention at Chicago, which put into Its platform the following plank: We recommend that all ships engaged in the coastwise trade and all vessels of the American merchant marine shall pass through the Pan- j ama canal without premium of tolls.' Why that plank was adopted has never been explained except upon the theory that it was intended as a sop to the Irish vote. Irish-Amer-Icans had ~ bitterly fought in 1914 the repeal of the free-tolls act, and It seems to have been thought that they would be delighted this year to have ' the Republican party threaten, by a measure of flagrant bad faith and injustice, to get Into a row with England. The Republican convention did not see its way to favor the recognition of the Irish republic, but was quite willing to do something that might seem to feed fat the ancient grudge. Whatever the -■ truth about this, Senator Harding has not failed to show that he is ready to stand on the plank which proposes to violate a treaty obligation. Only last week he was waxing eloquent upon the misfortune that congress would not “allow American ships to pass through the American Panama canal, built by American genius with American money to further American commerce and add \to American" defense,” free of tolls. This sort of flamboyant utterance was well described in advance by another Republican, who spoke with fitting contempt of “the excitement and fervor of a false patriotism, the insolence and rancor which ill befit the consideration of a serious international subject by a great people.” That Republican was Elihu Root. Senator Root’s speeches in behalf of the repeal urged by President Wilson were the ablest delivered in 1914. With a complete mastery of the diplomatic history of the Panama canal, with a firm grasp of the principles of law involved, he made an argument which no one really undertook to Tefute. But even more compelling than his powerful reasoning were his moving appeals to the senate to see to it that "the honor and good faith of the United States is as its bond.” Read this passage from Mr. Root’s speech on May 21, 1914: If we decide this in our favor • • /• we are discredited, we are dishonored* wb have repudiated our principles. Now, let any man who vdtes against this repeal take to himself

the responsibility of leading his country Into that position. -J, for one, shall not. If every constituent I have were looking with hope for lower freight rates, I would not. If my convictions were so blinded' that I saw only the lurid light of red flame when a railroad is mentioned, I would not lead my country into such a position. •t • I will vote for this repeal because it is the surest, and, I believe, the only way to save our country from that most discreditable result.

Citations like that from the debate might be multiplied. Menton might be made of the fact that in the final vote of the senate —50 to 35 in favor of sustaining President Wilson—the weightiest Repub>llcan senators were found voting with the majority. It might also be recalled that the effect upon public opinion abroad was to highten immensely the fame of the United States as a great democracy that put the sanctity of a pledge above a few miserable dollars saved in canal tolls. But all these things are still of common knowledge. They only add to the wonder that the Republican party should this year be undertaking to reverse and undo an act of justice, and to put upon the country anew the disgrace which.its own most eminent leaders joined a Democratic president In removing six years ago.—New York Times.