South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-11
LET THE SENATORS RESIGN AND RUN
FOR REELECTION ON ANTI-LEAGUE
OR A~NTI-TREATY PLATFORM. THAT
WOULD BE A REFERENDUM PERFECT
LY LEGAL AND EFFECTIVE

eager lo nave n peace treaty anu the
League Of Nations. jointly or severally submitted TO
the people by a referendum. can have IT, and have
Il other than as a straw vote, II they are really
sincere.
They know. and know Full well. that there is no
Law under which "a referendum could be had on
these subjects, that the constitution vests the treaty
making power in the president. his acts being sub
Ject 10 ratification by the senate. and the only pur-
pose OF the suggestion is to MUDDY the political
waters. anticipating the presidents good sense. and
that he win not advise any such extraordinary
course.
But there is a way for these senators. and their
concurring congressman TO get around IT,. II they
are really sincere and are so disposed. In most states
they can force a referendum on the president if
they are so inclined. Let them resign their seats.
and run for recollection on an anti-league, or anti
peace treaty platform The people VIII by the cleo
ton decide which they are for. These senators and
representative dare not do IT. They know the fate
or that Pennsylvania congressman.
The congressman are mentioned only incidental
", because certain Of the more idiotic among them.
have seen III to Join IN the representations. Re
member the lower house of congress has nothing to
do with the ratification Of treaties. tt is the senate's
Job. As to the senator's. however, such a referendum
might be a very desirable one, and besides it would
be a logical one. A senator who. having discredited
himself by his attitude toward the League OF Ma
tions. or the treaty. 20 the extent that he feels that
he cannot consistently vote for them without pop
ular direction. ought to understand himself as suff-
cientIy misrepresentation OF the people, as to not
want 10 vote for It az all and be willing to quit the
Job in the absence OF a confirmation Of his stand.
Let him resign. and IL his constituency approves of
his attitude. it will re-elect him. II not that con
stituency will elect his opponent placing a man in
his stead who can consistently execute their will
It would be the simplest thing in the world to
relieve these suddenly conscientious gentlemen's
minds by such process. In Indiana IL is within the
power or the governor TO fiji senatorial vacancies
in case OF resignation but certainly Sens. Watson
and New, especially b. invoking the aid OF National
Chairman VIII Hays. can prevail upon Gov. Good
rich TO call a special election il they dare 10 take
the chance on one. In Ohio, Pennsylvania. New
York, and we understand. more than half the states.
special elections are necessary to fiji vacancies since
the constitutional amendment providing for direct
election OF senators. We would like 20 see It tried
out in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Indiana
and Illinois. and several other such states, in par
ticular.
The cry OF those senators who signed the round
robin" asking for a referendum vote. makes an in
teresting commentary A few months ago they were
mad, terribly mad. because the president would not
let them run his business. debating the kind OF
peace he should negotiate. but now they are afraid
TO tackle even their own business. They want to
shoulder the responsibility of on the people; which.
wei. they can do very easily by resigning and
getting out Of the way. permitting the people TO
elect men for the purpose. Otherwise. if they don't
want the treaty, and the League Of Nations, as the
president has negotiated them, let them refuse to
ratify and take the consequences
Who ever heard or a gang OF stand-pat republi-
cans pleading for a referendum before. "Represen-
tstive government" has always been their long suit
until now. And II the referendum has become such
a desirable thing all Of a sudden. why not the
initiative and the recall The senators by resigning
and standing for reelection can make both a refer
endum and recall Of it-with the treaty and the
league the campaign issues. Why not2
The answer is easy. They dare not tt is a political
maneuver and nothing else. It is the same type Of
political maneuver that the liquor interests Of Amer
lea have been indulging for years When legisla-
lures used to vote counties dry. they wanted coun-
ty option. then when they got county option, they
wanted It township option. AS soon as they got that,
the state was the proper unit for prohibition. and
when the states began to prohibit they talked ma
tonaI prohibition as the only thing 90 have. Never
have they talked referendum except when they
could no longer control legislatures on congress
and so now they are arguing that national prohibi-
ton isst the thing: it should be submitted to the
people. the dear pee-pul, OF whom the liquor inter
ests are always so soicitous.
And they are just as SOLICITORS OF them as these
senators and consressmen are who are talking
about a referendum on the peace treaty or the
League Of Nations covenant. They know they can
not be separated. They are hinged together in the
treaty. To approve Of one they must approve Of
both, and they are wiggling for a partisan excuse
for approving OF neither. with "copperheadism" at
the bottom They would not be bound by a vote
unauthorized by the constitution II one was taken.
IL is partisan pettifoggery and worse demagoguery,
attempting To- appeal 20 the vanity Of the people.
and doins { as though the people were abiect
numbskulls
They dare not so after their referendum by re-
signing and take their chances on being sent back