Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-07-24
LEAGUE DESTRUCTIVE
OF POPULAR GOVERNMENT


The Republican Publicity Associa.
ton, through its president, Hon
Janothan Bourne, Jr., Tuesday gave
out the following statement from its
Washington headquarters
do you realize that the adpotion
of the league of nations by the Unit
ed States means the destruction OF
popular government in this country;
not entirely, perhaps, but to an ex-
( tent which no man can forsee and to
which there is no limit? Con-
template for a moment the situation
Z in which we would find ourselves
/ were we to be bound by the league
I covenant. In Geneva sits a council
/ of nine. eight foreigners to one Am
erican: also an assembly composed
/ from ! to 1872 foreigners and not
more than three Americans. Those
/ bodies. constituting the instrument
tally of the league of nations, upon
the complaint of the most insignifi-
cant country in the world can take
Jurisdiction of amy" circumstance
whatever if somebody alleges that
. such circumstances threaten the
peace of the world.
Votes are taken, a decision is ar
rived at, and orders for enforcing
that decision go forth from Geneva to
the nations of the world. Those
orders call upon the United States
to levy boycotts upon, sever all re-
lations with, and make war against
some other country with which we
are at peace. The 110,000,000
people of the United States have but
one alternative. They must abide
49,, ;csA 80 hA
pudiate their solemn obligations un-
der the league covenant. There is
provided absolutely no opportunity
for referendum. the people are Civ
EN- no choice whatever In the matter.
Theirs not to make reply, theirs
not to reason why, theirs but to do
and die
"Enraged at the predicament in
which they find themselves, our cit
liens look about for remedy. But
there is no escape. We md that
we are bound to give two years
notice before we can leave the
league. We find that IL we do not
fulfill our obligations TO accept the
decision of the league we will be set
upon by the other nations of the
world, and compelled by force of
foreign assembly, who may voted
with their colleagues, cannot be re-
called and chastised for betraying
the welfare of their country. In
fact 11O,0O0,000 Americans bask
ing in the glory of perfect freedom
suddenly awaken to the realization
that they have been virtually sold
into slavery, that their lives and for
t,.,. Oh - IN M q nd n
league overwhelmingly dominated by
foreigners, and that they have been
called upon to make good their
signed covenants or be destroyed.
I'm the United States those who
misrepresent us can be defeated at
the polls. If they are appointed
officers, or if the ends of their terms
are too far distant, they can be i'm
peached and summarily removed
from offcie. Under all conditions
every person clothed with authority
is responsible to the people whose af-
fairs he has been entrusted to ad-
minister. Never for a moment do
the people relax their hold on their
own government.
"But in the league of nations how
different! OF course the foreign
members of this super-government
are beyond our reach. While they
NEEDLE at pleasure in the affairs of
America there is no way provided
for their removal or punishment by
the people whom they control.
Even our own representatives would
probably be construed to be dena-
tionalized officials of the world
rather than of the league. In any
event it is perfectly competent for
the league to prevent the people of
the United States from disciplining
their own delegates, on the ground
that such action would be pre1udi-
cial to international peace. Where
| is the American, worthy of the name
who wishes to make the exchange
and live under such conditions?"