Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-15
A Surprising Revelation

- HARTMAN WILL II. HAYS, OF the Re-
~ publican National COMMITTEES, has made
canvass OF the country in an effort to in
form himself regarding public sentiment on
questions around which the 1920 political
battle will be fought He has sent out in
quires 10 more than 5000 State and county
chairmen of his party. to every Republican
Senator and Representative, and he has re-
ceived responses from approximately 95 per
cent of the leaders with whom he commvni-
Gated. II may be assumed. therefore, that
his information is nationwide i'll its scope
and that reveals an accurate cross-section
OF popular thought.
In statement reviewing the replies which
have come to him, Mr.. Hays makes the Nat
and astonishing assertion that the American
people are not at this time interested either
III the questions of peace or prohibition
They are not concerned with the fate of the
Versailles treaty, with the league OF nations
covenant or with any phase Of the liquor
issue. These matters are regarded as dead.
according to Mr.. Hays information. and will
not figure one way or the other in the forth
coming campaign
This revelation must come as Il shock to
the average citizen, who had somehow as
sumed that the country at large felt very
profoundly on the subject OF peace; that it
had followed with increasing interest the
night for the ratification OF the pending treaty;
that ii had looked with alarm on the defeat
oil the league Of nations and that there was
consuming impaticnce in all directions for a
return to peace and for that REIMBURSEMENT of
nallonal affairs which can only come with
the repeal Of the wartime legislation But
apparently Il mistake has been made Mr.
hays says that lieutensnts and sublieuten-
ants scattered i'll every county OF every State
III the Union who are in daily and intimate
touch with the great mass Of voters insist
that peace is not matter Of widespread in
terest and that the voter next year probably
VIII not permit il to become paramount
issue.
The same is said by Mr.. Hays to he true
or prohibition, a question which has har-
aSsed national legislators in washington for
two decades and has torn party alignments
III the individual States to pieces. The Re-
publican reporters contend that the men and
women OF the country are Indifferent OH the
suo'ect or prohibition, merely regarding it as
settled proposition. They hold this view
notwithstanding the prohibition fights which
nave been staged recently in Ohio, in Massa-
chusetts and i'll New Jersey.
1t Is not to be supposed TINT the 900 or
more Republican leaders who were asked bv
thelr party chieftain to report oM the state
OF the public mind have deliberately blinded
themselves; that they have willingly misJed
MI. Hays or that they are inca pable OF
iathoming sentiment as it exists in their COM
nunlties 1t is possible, Of course that Mr.
rays In his public comment on the reports
received by him has played down one set Of
ISSUES and played up another, but this sug-
sestion may be wholly unfair to him Re
that as 1t may. he has impaired much sur
prising Information to the country narticr-
Iariy SO when he says that the nation as
whole is Indifferent upon the issue of neacc
with Germany.