Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-25
Partisarship and the League

issue. Men everywhere. to use
deep in their hearts believe that II is
bigger than any party. person or
opinion Its very name implies that
j, is the biggest thing IN the world.
in the line OF constituted government.
much partisan deb tie and strife
Because Resident Wilson himself has
gwen Il that character. He began
October - las; Through the issuance
of his CNtraordinarN appeal to the
voters. from Inch the following is
quoted:
III you have approved OF my leader
ship and wish me TO continue to be your
untulbarrl>sed spokesman in AHA rs II
home AND abroad, I earnestly beg tina,
YOU viii express yourselves unnistah-
ably To that effect by returning a Dem
nr-,it majority a. both the Senate and
licuse OF Representatives,
stopped. hu. tho President knew It
would sometime. and he knew tina.
he would have a large par. IN the ne
Sotiatlon of peace. He knew that the
i,h Of the famous commandments
had already made him the world
champion of the league OF nations
idea, and that i'll person or by repre-
sentative he would press that idea at
the peace conference. He did not
wish 10 be haInpered in whatever
program he might adopt by a con-
;,resS Of "pro-war but anti admins
,ration" Republicans. who had had
the best interests OF the country at
heart through all the war period. He
asked to be allowed to do whatever
he personally considered eXpedient ,r
opportune. assuming surprising Wis
dom and Judgment to be his.
The country heard his appeal and
answered it. not in s: irit of rarti-
san bitterness, but in a spirit of wise
caution based upon the experience of
previous months and weeks during
which the President had pursued his
policy Of 'watchful waiting" and
Wobhly waverins with which he
would brook no suggestion or inter-
ference. No more unamtisuous an
swer has ever been given by the peo-
pie than in their vote Of November S
last.
Then came the armistice and the
preparation for the peace conference
The president took il upon himself to
appoint himself and his henchmen as
delegates to the conference. Gisre-
gardins the Senate and the wishes Of
the country at large. He made en-
cuSeS for going abroad by saying that
Congress could set along just as we'll
and the country would be lust as we'll
of. and he sailed away leaving no
mixing Of ~la, his policy was to be.
= eA-NA'Nh aSo tdSh tIlIS
ing a document which he did not dare
TO expose W unfairly 10 the light :
searching scrutiny by the legal minds
OF the Senate. or the ordinary Gem
mon sense minds OF the people at
large. Failing in these sag ,acti, :.
he INDUCES IN viiure,a;!ve rhetoric
and arrogant Calumnies for the men
who have bee! just enough: 10 the
present and future Of this country to
wish TO know to wha, il is 70 he
committed. He return, to Paris in
Il bitter and threatening mood !eav-
Ing the cou-- y in the dark as before,
and worse without a Congress in ses-
sion. Thus the only one Of the three
coordinate branches OF the United
States government which is al pres
ent functionins is the Supreme
Court. Was such thing ever i'm
aginable in these most ,roublous
times in the history OF the world :.
And all because the 6Sth Congress
Will be 4 Republican body. :; il any
wonder that the issue Of the league is
developing on partisan lines when
the CHIEF e--ccutivc himself sets such
an example q petty politics on the
one hand and such a supreme disre.
sard for all things American on the
Other:
Now comes former Attorney Gen
eral wickershsm home from Paris
with the startling information in his
own mind at least. that Mr.. Wilson is
deliberately trying to trick the Re-
publican party into opposing the
league as proposed in order to m. Z
political capital out OF this opposition
in Is:o.
Whether this be true or false, it Is
Rmost serious indictment Of our chief
peacemaker. and certainly reflects no
credit on his party. The call of the
present Is not for Wilson rubber
stamps or for pigheaded Republicans,
but for 100 per cent Americans who
Believe In Ito integrity Of the United
states - . free SELF determining ma
tton among nations. ready as she he's
always been to be the friend and
champion Of the oppressed. but not