Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1919-03-21

to the securing of those inalienable
rights with which their Creator has
endowed them, and among which are
life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness.
Basis OF League Opposition. !
That is the argument in favor OF
the league put into compact form.
The opposing argument is an appeal
to national selfishness and greed for
power and place. 1t invites America
to do the impossible-to continue its
historic attitude of isolation. 1t In
vites it to play the part of the Priest
and the Levite in the parable. leaving
to others the task of playing the part
of the Good Samaritan to the help.
less nations as they journey from
their Jerisalems to their Jerichos
and fall among thieves. 1t would
sing a great moral impulse in fooo
of hate and render it impossible for
the world to profit by the experiences
of a struggle that, with the actual
fighting ended, threatening to turn
back the clock thousands of years
and give humanity over to anarchy.
1t is not strange that SO many of
the plain people are anxious to try an
experiment that promises to prevent
all this. Sentiment in favor of the
league is not yet as strong in Amer
lea as 1t is in Europe. 1t would be,
however, If America had suffered as
Europe has suffered, but it Is rapidly
taking form, and there is hardly a
thinking man in this city who doubts
the ultimate alignment of the Ameri-
can people with the thought that is
back Of the Wilson program.
Senate Frank B. Kellogg Of Mime
sofa made a speech in st. Paul few
weeks ago that sounded like an at
tack on the league. Late this week
he reported that he never had seen
the sentiment Of his state SO over
whelmingly in favor of any PROPOSE
ton as it is now in favor of the
league. To his newspaper friends
here he announces his opposition to
the policies of Borah, Poindexter and
Reed, and predicts that the league
will sweep the country as mo other
issue has swept it for many years.
The Significance of the Minnesota
attitude lies in the fact that that
state is the home Of the Nonpartisan
league, which has overcome local OPP
position and extended its authority
over the Dakotas and parts of Mon
tana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas and
Nebraska. 1t is an organization COM
posed Of farmers. The Nonpartisan
league Is one of the organizations
which was supporting the league
: Until the question hes been finally
settled, the American people will
carry on one of the great decisive
debates Of the country's history. On
but two other occasions have they
faced questions Of similarly great
import--oVce during the constitu-
tional convention and the years that
followed It., until the constitution
had been ratified by the states: and
again in the years prior to the Civil
War. when slavery was the para
mount issue. ;.
The third debate now beginning,
like the first one, follows rather
than precedes great war waged in
the name Of liberty. Like it, also, 1t
raises the question as to the means
whereby the American people can
preserve the fruits of military VIC
tory.
Some interesting and at the same
time reliable news reaches this city
from Chicago. where Chairman VIII
H. Hays of the Republican national
committee for almost week has
been consulting with party workers
from the Middle West and arranging
to establish the first of his listening
posts"
Demanding League of Nations.
Callers by the score, coming from
more than a dozen great interior
states, have told him that the peo-
pie in those states are demanding
some kind Of league of nations and
that 1t will be necessary for the Re-
publican party next year to favor
the league in its national platform
There we're few of the callers who
said that the people were entirely
satisfied with the tentative draft of
the league, but they added that there
|
mand was well-nigh universal in
their sections for something that
would make war less probable, in the
future. Among these callers were
chairmen and other members of state
central and state executive commit
tees.
Said gentleman today who talked
with Chairman Hays in Chicago this
week: That former. President Taft
will be put forward. for the presiden-
tial nomination next year was con.
sidered very probable by a good many
of Chairman Hays callers 1t was.
however. only surmise, as nobody
could state with authority that
Taft movement was in the making, or
that it had the Endorsement Of Mr..
Taft or his close friends"
| Special dispatches from Chicago to
several New York newspapers repeat
the foregoing statement with more
or less elaboration.
The senate, in its attitude. Of oppo-
stiOn to the league, is running true