The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-08
TRIP WEAKENING
WILSON'S POSITION



Continued from First Paoe.
wishes. In each case this action has in
volved sacrifices and required courage.
Boiling Democrats' Troubles.
In flashing the news to various parts
of the country, including the home States
of the Democrats. there have unfor-
tunately been reports that these sena-
tors have gone over to the Repubh-
cans 'or have deserted tho Democrats
| or have coined forces with the oppo-
nents Of President Wilson," all of which
has increased the possible difficulties
which these Senators may have with
some of their constituents who, without
knowing anything about the treaty or
the league covenant, have hoped for
Democratic success.
| 1t is only fair to men like Senator
| Shields (Tenn.) or Senator Hoke Smith
| (Ga.) or Senator Simmons IN. c. to
permit their position with respect to the
league covenant to become widely
known according to their friends here.
| Senator Shields, for example. does not
feel that he has gone over to the Re
publicans" because he cannot bring him
| self to accept the present covenant as
| safe for the American people. He is
understood to feel simply that on this
very serious national matter the Repub-
licans and some of the Democrats think
as he does, and that the same dangers
which those Senator's see for America in
the covenant he himself sees.
! In other words. Senator Shields is re-
/ garding the question from the stand
point of an American first and Demo-
Graf second. But this does not mean
that he has gone over TO the Republl-
cans his friends say.
The same holds true with respect to
j both Senators Hoke Smith and. Sim
mons. and likewise with regard to other
Democratic Senator's quoted as being
about to assert their views.
Mccormick Refuses to Quake.
AS illustrative of the effect the Presi-
dents acrimonious. criticism of the OPP
position is having among the Republican
leaders opposing unreserved ratification
| of the pact and covenant Senator Medill
Mccormick (Ill.) said Tonight regard
ing the campaign to save the treaty:
''Dr. Wilson is threatening again.
Senators will not quake. ashen and
weak. before his spent bolts. Although
Mr.. Wilson can no longer by any con-
jority OF the people. he is uttering
threats and promises with furious and
voluble impartiality.
Abraham Lincoln, who came from
my State of Illinois. from which DR.
Wilson holds his countenance on this
journey, remarked that you could not
fool all the people all the time. Mr.
" asp S K aa fas 4, ssSs t tss'
issue and he and his political commit
tees by direct jmputation or by inuendc
ascribed to Col. Roosevelt, Mr.. Hughes
and other Republican leaders, the in.
: tention to go to war.
Mr. Wilson held that perhaps we
{ were too proud to fight that we must
be neutral in fact and impartial IL
I thought as well as in action between
I autocracy and democracy at war in Eu-
! rope. He held that we were not con
4 cerned' with the causes and the ob
E Jects' OF the war. That was before tn,
election and before we Joined In tn,
war. But now in answer to-question.
by member of the Foreign Relation.
Committee he says he thinks we woult
have got into the war anyway, ever
S II Germany had committed no act o
e war or act of injustice against on
y citizens (colloquy with Senator Nc
: Cumber. August 49,.
A "Mr. Wilson is going to keep us on
I
I ponents stand in the way Of peace,
3 Mr.. Wilson. more than any othe
r man in the world. is responsible for tn
: delay in ratifying peace. He has ne
gotiated treaty in defiance of the estab
s lished practice under our Constitution
n in cynical disregard of his own espresso
" opinions. and in absolute contempt of tn
= majority of the American people as ex
e pressed at the polls. The people. as ex
I V.lip tf fhaxr
It the right to speak for them in foreig
d affairs.
q During the war Theodore Roosevelt
II had no part in the councils of the Gov
d eminent, but he was never more power
full in the connsels OF his countryme
II than during the last months before h
e died. 1t was his voice and not Nj
e Wilson's TO which the people gave hee
II in the November elections.
n RooseveIt's Words Quoted.
e "of ther decision at the polls Thee
II dore Roosevelt wrote;
u Ion Mr.. Wilson's own saw So Nh
II people) repudiated his leadership. Unde
3 these circumstances our allies and on
70 enemies and Mr.. Wilson himself Shout
- all understand that Mr. Wilson has N
70 authority whatever to speak for III
l. American people at this time. His lead
u ership has Just been emphatically rt
u pudiated by them. -
1.-THE newly elected Congress come
far nearer than Mr. Wilson to havin
y right to speak the purposes of tn
II American people at this moment. H
p Is President of the UNITED States. II
o Is part of the treaty making pow'el
But he Is only a part.
IT II he acts In good faith to tn
American people he will not claim o
the other side of the water any repre-
sentative capacity in himself to spea
for the American people. He will sa
y frankly that his personal leadership ha
- been repudiated and that he now ha
p merely the divided official leadershi
which he shares with the Senate
- Despite this. Mr.. Wilson sought n
association with the spokesman for tn
y majority of the people, but took as hi
u colleagues In Paris four servants of hi
70 will. to whose humiliating ihconsequenc
!. Mr.. Lansing eloauently bore witness be
- fore the Foreign Relations Committe
20 The league-covenant has been irrele
vanity and improperly intertwined wit
\ the treaty of peace In order that M
1 Wilson might be the better able TO In
pose his arbitrary will upon the Senat
and upon the American people.
''rhus the delay 10 occasicned by tn
auaHaWa.w H.. 4