The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-04-09
new VICTORY
FOR WILSON
Opposition to League Of Nations
is Rapidly Dying
s; Out
TRIUMPH OF RIGHT
IDEALS PREDICTED

Political Schemes of Republican
Partisans Fails to Win Pop
ular Support.
Washington, April 6.-In a state
nent tonight declaring that care.
: full observer ..can not fail to note
that opposition to the league Of ma
tons is rapidly crumbling," Homer S
Cummings, chairman Of the Demo
z cratic national committee, reproduced
extracts from speech delivered by
Senator Lodge in 1906 to show the
attitude Of the Republican leader al
the time towards the negotiation OF
$ trc;.ties By the president without ad-
vance consultation with the senate.
Statements issued by opponents OF
the. league, Mr Cummings said. are
sess sweeping in cha aracter and carry
the implication that when the time
comes for ratification the treaty VIII
be: resisted by very small minority.
S Criticism is rapidly narrowing
down to mere trif1es," the statement
continued, land those who follow the
lead Of the senator's who issued the
round robin accompanying their rap
fdiy diminishing objections with at
facks upon President Wilson for the
manner in which the matter has been
handled. The provision in the con-
stitution relating to the approval Of
treaties by and with advice and con-
seat Of the senate Is still being relied
upon TO challenge the conduct Of the
president in ignoring as it is said,
the proper functions Of the senate.
Senator Lodge has been particu-
Slarly inclined to be captious with
reference to the attitude Of the pres
ident; and many others have follow
ed that Lead
y: Recalling that there was criticism
IN the senate OF President Roosevelt
for sending delegates to the .Agectras
conference on the Moroccan question,
nr. Cummings quoted following from
SPEECH on January 2a,- 1906. By Sen
ator John C. Spooner of Wisconsin,
-asrS-saember OF the foreign rotations
committee
The senate has. nothing to do
with the negotiation Of treaties or the
conduct OF our foreign intercourse
and relations save the exercise of the
one constitutional function OF advice
and consent which the constitution
requires as precedent condition to
the making Of treaty The
president negotiates the treaty to be-
gin with. -.
.'fIe may, employ such agencies as
he Chooses. to negotiate the proposed
treaty The senate has no right
to demand that he shall unfold. to the
world or to it even in executive ses-
sion HIS instructions or the prospect
OF progress Of the negotiations :.
When he shall have negotiated and
sent his proposed treaty to the SEN
ate, the jurisdiction OF the senate at
taches and. its power begins"
Senator Lodge speaking later, Mr.
Cummings said, gave his, complete
Endorsement to the position assumed
by Senator Spooner, by saying:
Il don't think. that it is possible for
anybody to make. any addition to the
mastery statement in regard to the
powers Of the president in treaty
making -. which we have heard
from the senator from Wisconsin
On the following day. lIr. Cum
,nings added. Senator Lodge used
these words:
emo one, think can doubt the alb
solute power of.tha president to initi-
ate and carry on all negotiations =.
we have mo possible right to break
suddenly toethes middle Of a negotia-
rion and demand from the president
what instructions he has given to his
Representatives That part Of treaty
making is no concern Of ours. -.
it is mere invasion Of the powers
and rights Of the president if we are
to plunge in at a stage Of the nego-
tiation where we have no business
and demand from him the instructions
which he bas given to his properly
appointed representatives. When the
treaty made by those representatives
comes before US then Is the time, and
not before, in which we can proper
II ask for Information in regard to
all which led up to it. -
:'The foregoing quotations" said
Mr.. Cummings.@+.ought to make an
sad for all time the i'll advised
and untustifabie criticism to which
President Wilson has been subjected
for a supposed ignoring Of the SEN
ate"
AIr. Cummings also quoted from a
speech by Senator Lodge on the same
day in which he discussed mistaken
ideas about Washington's famous
warning against entangling alliances.
and remarked that Washington "was
altogether too sensible and too prac-
tical man to suppose that because
we were not to engage in alliances
which might involve us in the wars
OF Europe. in which we had no con-
cern, therefore we were never to en-