New Britain herald., 1919-03-22
PenrOsc DOIgcS the Issue.
(NeW York World )

(NeW Ork WOrld.)
 To the Worlds suggestion that tho senators who are opposed to tho league of nations and who are de- manding a referendum on the issue should resign and appeal to the people of their respective states for a vote o1 confidence, Senator Penrose Of Penn sylVania makes this reply:
 It seems to me the logical
 proposition would be for Presi-
 dent Wilson to resign and test
 the sentiment of the American
 people on the so-called league of
 nations as he has defined it. This
 would give him an opportunity to
 explain fully what he has in mind
 in a way which he has not so far
 clearly done.
 If that were possible under our form 0: government. the World would wholly approve of Senatorf Penrose' 8 suggestion, and we have no doubt tha. the president himself would unhesitat Inely adopt that course. But 1t is nor possible, as Senator PenrOsc well knows.
 No presidential referendum can be held under the constitution of the United States. If the president re- signs, the vice president becomes pres, ident, There can be no appeal to tho people. A presidential election can take place only once in four years, no matter what happens.
 But no such obsta acle lies in the pathway of d senatorial referendum Senators can resign at any time for any reason and can imm ediately be. come candidates to succeed themselves as COnklin and Platt did after their quarrel with President Garfield over the appointment Of a collector of the port Of New York. Furthermore. un der the new political system Of direct nominations and direct elections, a senator who resigns and appeals to his constituents has the benefit of d double referendum. one at the party primaries and one at the polls. The World has shown how 16 of the senators opposed to the league of na- tions, one-sixth of the total member ship of the senate, can, by resigning and appealing for a vote of confi- dence, give the country all the prac- tical benefits of a nationwide refer- cndum on the issue. These senators are Hale of Maine, Moses of New Hampshire, Brandegee of Connecticut, Calder of New York, Frelinghuysen of New Jersey. Penrose of Pennsyl- vania, Harding of Ohio, New of In-
 
 1 linois, Reed of Missouri, Thomas ol Colorado, Borah of Idaho, PoindeXter 1 of Washington, Hiram Johnson O. 1 California, Fall of New Mevico and 1 France of Maryland
 We have selected these particular 1 senators because they are the chief 1 recalcitrants in the fight against the | league of nations. They believe in the old order of international rela- ] tons which produced the most terri 1 ble war of human history, and are 1 determined that nothing shall be | done by the United States to change 1 the system. Many of them have pub i licly demanded a referendum on the ] question of the league of nations, ye+ | they refuse the only practical method l by which such a referendum can be i held.
 ! Senator Penrose, in his reply to the ! World dodges the issue and does ii 1 deliberately. Whatever the senator's $ i limitations may be, ignorance of the ! general machinery of the United 1 States government is not one of them i When he suggests that the president resign and appeal to the people, he 1 knows that it is a constitutional inn l possibility. but on the question of his i own resignation and appeal he is dis 1 creetly silent With the contro1 In his | own hands of tho powerful republican l machine in Pennsylvania. with the l certain support of the great corpora 1 tions and organized interests of the : state which are always in partnership with the PenrOse machine, he lacks 1 the courage and candor to submit his | case to the judgment of the people of | his state.
 Is Senator Penrose afraid?