The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-10-07
APPEAL TO PASSION AND
IGNORANCE.

ANY man has a right to obJec
to the League Of Nations, and t.
have respectful treatment 1ol
himself and his arguments. NJ
man has right to try to de9ea'
it by falsehood and demagogy.
Ii is this latter charge whleh
lies against nearly all arguments
on the treaty, but particularly
against the passionate speeches Oh
Senator Reed. He for the demo
Gratis and Borah and johnson for
the republicans, have adopted the
role of deliberate and repeated
falsehood. They not only appeal
everywhere to passion and ignor-
ance, but they appeal to 1t by
statements which they themselves
know TO be untrue. Let us repeat
and dissect the most important OF
them.
They say that England has SIX
votes in the league where the
United States has only one. 1t
would be Just as much to the
point to say that Oklahoma
should secede from the union be-
cause New York state has several
times as many votes in "con-
gress. Great Britain and her
colonies have six votes in the as
sembly of the League Of Nations,
which is composed Of two bodies,
Just as congress is. And, as all
the states have an equal number
of senators, so all the nations
are equal in the council OF the
league. Each has one vote only.
Nothing can be acted on by the
assembly until the council has re-
ferred it to that body. No act
can be taken by the council eX-
cept on a unanimous vote. The
United States has an exactly
equal voice there with England
and it has a total vote on any
matter when it votes "no. " When
therefore, one Of these orators
asks an audience if it wants a
body where we have one vote to
England's six, he is trying to
create a false impression by con-
cealing half the truth; which is
one of the meanest forms of ly-
ing.
They shout, edo you want
America S young men sent into
foreign wars at the orders of 9th
err nations and for their interests
only?" The question, of course,
implies that this can be done I'M
der the League Of Nations; OF
there would be no point to it. 1t
cannot be done, and they know
it, unless the United States votes
that it shall be done; and even
then no troops can be sent until
the congress Of the United States
orders it. Again they state lie
by implication.
They ask if we want to toler-
ate and guarantee foreign inter
ference in American affairs
There is not a line in the treaty
that warrants any such idea. The
Monroe doctrine is for the first
time implicitly accepted by Eu-
rope in this treaty. Our domestic
affairs are reserved for our own
control.
s They ask if we are to be called
on to help put down uprisings OF
people struggling for freedom
Again it might be answered that
no such movement could be or
dered unless we voted for it, But
in addition to that, it is expressly
asserted in the league that il
shall act only to repeal "externa
aggression" directed against ont
of its members. This also covers
the ease of Ireland. Moreover
the league has no more concerr
with the Irish oueStiOn that If ha,
with negro lynchings in Ol1laho
ma, or any otner matter that die
not enter into the great war.
They ask us whether we shall
give Shantung over to Japan, ig
morning the fact the Shantuns
matter was settled before we hat
anything TO do with if, and ther,
are just two choices open to us
either to recognize the settlemen