Mountain advocate., 1919-12-26
rEAE TREATY AS ISSUE

les and It's league of nations cove
ngrt sans reservations, now see
Ue.r hopes, as in a glass, darkly,
.lg The we'll known position of Ma
hornets coffin.
PRESIDENT Wilson, in the first brief
sttolaucc that he has made on the
..gb'2a. s.aco the treaty and league
.at u..Dl3 was laid carefully away
a lavender Gud old lace by the SEN
etc. declares that responsibility for
.l, treaty has been shifted to other
.roulters, meaning undoubtedly,
Republican shoulders, and Keen
y...a.aI Democrats are hoping and
praying thgt it may be permitted to
ram.in there.
It has been so frequently asserted
g8 10 become accepted as a truism
hat President Wilson is the best pol
-tlie,." in the Democratic party. Now
that q, is known that despite his Sc
rioua Illness, his mind is as alert az
ever, and that he is in touch with
current affairs, the Democrats who
have boon shrinking before the up
preaching shadow of the league of
J nations rs campaign issue, with
/ the party pledged to the Affirmative
side. are wondering whether the
/ leadership Of President Wilson will
Drlag :hom out from under the aha
, dow ard out Of the Wilderness Ct
( foreign hatRnslements back to old
Fashioned JECksonian democracy.
/ Their hope is pendent upon the
slender threads OF the few words
.pcEca in q banter'ng manner in a
-.sj; room. but it is a thread, even
. Enough it be finer than a gossamcr
strand. end upon it they will cling
u-lu I've next skirmish between the
. Erasilont and the foreign relations
committee Of the Senate develops
tho situation.
It is possible, OF course, that the
PRESIDENT has not been in close
enough touch with the news to APP
preciate the meaning or the strength
O. the revolt in the Democratic
party against ---s@-hazarding of ITS
future political fortunes upon ma
5,on-wide referendum on its support
Of the league OF nations without the
GCttiug OF an Il" or the crossing OF
p 49," But the revolt is not the
thing Of day. us growth since the
I .at"a. OK the peace treaty without
ro.rrFat.0ns by The Senate has been
. son-r'yabl5. Back of this, however,
/ ere sic @"Ure5-iigures that count
40 sa.l their story of recent cleo
.9g3. aid still back Of that there
no The warnings from leaders with
/ .r &c party who held. that such an
bruDt and wide departure from
I rue Democratic principles as vol
turtary participation in European
,oHtca Of alliances more than en-
angling, could not and would not
be accepted by the followers OF the
Democratic faith.
Senator James A. Reed. OF Mis-
I.os.,, rounded the first warning. IN
e. speech in the Senate on November
La. 1915. before President Wilson
..-uo6 for Europe The first time, and
the league OF nations was but fig
aran. "a tho brain, Senator Reed
aot.l-1 our that such a league and
. 1T /. would stand for could no. but
be rapellant 10 q nation that had
. pros ga"cd aad grown great under the
. Wis., DrcoeptG Of the fathers against
.ur,.El oltanClaments.
Ctnar Democrats, both in and out
" pubic Cilce, Joined with Senator
( Erod IN The attempt to steer the
party clear Of support Of any treaty
los co-o.aat that would in any way
/ eoN for tho use of the strength or
. -@o'.h c. the United States in set
uias Inc broi!s or quarrels Inherent
. in European politics,
whether or not these leaders wore
right 5a their count of the pulse of
. Emo American people cannot be hnal-
0'v determined without a national re-
, .-.a0luU, but figures began to show
"a re bye-elcCtions for Congress and
. state and municipal contests in
/ wE'on the Democrats were burdened
with ,ao league Of nations load, and
. 2 lHcy can be taken as q forecast,
. DE-, estimate Of the editor of the
. E'.G,1a-Times-Union that the league
'.' tIons, as an Affirmative CAM
g..Gc issue OF The Democrats, would
. cost tho party 4 million votes, would
.aDDcar TO be conservative.
pa he seventh Alabama congress
s,oral district usually SO strongly
. Democratic that the Republicans
make no pyetense Of putting up. a